Nicella dichotoma ( Gray, 1860 )

Ramvilas, Ghosh, Alderslade, Philip & Ranjeet, Kutty, 2023, The taxonomy of Indian gorgonians: an assessment of the descriptive records of gorgonians (Anthozoa: Octocorallia: Alcyonacea) recorded as occurring in the territorial waters of India, along with neighbouring regions and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and the highlighting of perceived unethical practice, Zootaxa 5236 (1), pp. 1-124 : 95

Nicella dichotoma ( Gray, 1860)

Scirpearia dichotoma Gray, 1860: 481 ( Mauritius) .

Nicella mauritiana Gray, 1870a: 40 , fig. 12.

Nicella dichotoma Bayer & Grasshoff 1994: 41 , figs. 14–15.

Opinion: There is no evidence that this species occurs in the region.

Justification:

These Indian records seem to be either invalid or unconfirmable: Thomas & George, 1986: 108–109, fig. 1q, 1–3, x (Tuticorin).

Literature analysis: This species was originally described by Gray as Scirpearia dichotoma from Mauritius and then later synonymised by the same author under Nicella mauritiana Gray, 1870 .A number of authors have recorded the species from the type locality, but accurate details of the sclerites were not known until the publication of Bayer & Grasshoff (1994). The specimen described as this species by Thomas & George (1986) as occurring in the region is unrecognisable, and in their 1987 paper and in the publications of Thomas & George (1987), Kumar et al. (2014a) and Venkataraman et al. (2004) just list the species.