Ballanophyllia ponderosa Van der Horst, 1926

Lam, Katherine, Morton, Brian & Hodgson, Paul, 2008, Ahermatypic corals (Scleractinia: Dendrophylliidae, Oculinidae and Rhizangiidae) recorded from submarine caves in Hong Kong, Journal of Natural History 42 (9 - 12), pp. 729-747 : 731-732

Ballanophyllia ponderosa Van der Horst, 1926

( Figure 1C–D )

Ballanophyllia ponderosa Van der Horst, 1926:49–50 , Plate 3, Figs 6, 7 Ballanophyllia ponderosa Ogawa et al. 1998:148 , Plate 3, Figs 2 , 3 , Plate 4, Figs 5, 6

Description

The polyp is oval and large (, 18–21.3 mm and 13.4–14.9 mm in longer and shorter diameters, respectively, in mature polyps) and has a thick wall. Colonies formed from attached clumps of several corallites by extra-tentacular budding from the basal coenosteum. Corallites are elliptical in cross-section. The septa are not exsert. Septa of S 1 and S 2 are equally developed. The edge of these septa curve down from the margin to the bottom of the calice. Near the margin, there are a row of irregular dentitions on the edge. Septal size, in a descending order, is S 15 S 2.S 3.S 45 S 5. S 4 and S 5 are much smaller and join halfway between the margin and the columella. The calicle is deep. The columella is large and flat and consists of a spongy network of trabeculae. The epithecal wall is light orange or pink, corallite is bright red, tentacles are transparent and colourless with yellow or white nematocysts.

Type locality

Maldives, Nilandu; Mahlos Atoll and Amirante, 29 fathoms.

Distribution

Maldives ( van der Horst 1926), Japan ( Ogawa et al. 1998), Conic Island marine cave in Hong Kong (this study).

Remarks

Photograph in Scott (1984:40, Fig. 48) shows this species being grazed by the nudibranch Phestilla melanobranchia .

Figures

Figure 1. Balanophyllia sp. and Dendrophyllia sp. A–B, calicular (longer diameter56.5 mm) and side view of four solitary corallites of B. eguchii (maximum height59.02 mm); C–D, calicular (longer diameter514.9 mm) and top view of a B. ponderosa colony (height531.3 mm); E–G, calicular (longer diameter57.8 mm) and side views of two colonies of D. arbuscula (colony size of F and G535.1 mm and 40.1 mm, respectively); H–I, top and side views of a small D. arbuscula colony (height518.2); J–L, calicular (longer diameter511.7 mm) and top views of two colonies of D. ehrenbergiana (height of K and L513 mm and 19.8 mm, respectively); M–N, calicular (longer diameter513.4 mm) and side view of a colony of D. coccinea (height527 mm); O–P, calicular (longer diameter58 mm) and side view of colony of D. compressa (height533.1 mm); Q–R, calicular (longer diameter59.9 mm) and four solitary corallites of D. gracilis (maximum height521.2 mm).

Figure 2. Tubastrea sp. A–B, calicular (longer diameter58.2 mm) and top view of a colony of T. coccinea (length×width598.7 mm×34.6 mm); C–D, calicular (longer diameter56.37 mm) and top view of a colony of T. faulkneri (length×width568.9 mm×21.56 mm); E–J, calicular and side views of colonies of T. diaphana (height of F533 mm, height of G and H518.5 mm, longer calicular diameter and height of I and J59.9 and 21.5 mm, respectively); K–L, calicular (longer diameter59.5 mm) and top view of a colony of T. sibogae (height531.3 mm); M–O, calicular (longer diameter58.3 mm), top and side view of a colony of T. turbinata (height522.7 mm).

Figure 3. Tubastrea diaphana collected from Conic Island cave being grazed by three individuals of Aeolidiella sp. The white area of the skeleton is the grazed area. One Aeolidiella is on the top of the colony, the second is on the bottom and the third one was dislodged during collection.