Melithaea biserialis ( Kükenthal, 1908 )

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 : 27

Melithaea biserialis ( Kükenthal, 1908)

Acabaria biserialis Kükenthal, 1908: 195 (Red Sea); Grasshoff 1976: 3–4 (Red Sea) (part); Grasshoff 2000: 17, fig. 24 (Red Sea).

Not Acabaria biserialis Ofwegen 1987: 36–38 , figs. 22–23.

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

Justification:

These Indian records seem to be either invalid or unconfirmable: Fernando 2011: 24, pl. 6, fig. 1&1c (SE coast); Fernando et al. 2017: 26, pl. 8, fig. 1–1c (SE coast).

Literature analysis: This species was originally named Acabaria biserialis . The accounts provided by Fernando (2011) and Fernando et al. (2017) are identical. Their specimen is quite robust, has massive clubs and ovoids in the coenenchyme and extremely large anthocodial sclerites, but Grasshoff’s (2000) illustrations of the holotype show that the colony is finely branched with very pronounced nodes, and that the polyp and coenenchymal sclerites are small. The accounts by Fernando (2011) and Fernando et al. (2017) provide illustrations but lack any description, referring instead to Ofwegen (1987). However, they cite Grasshoff (2000) in their synonymy when that author stated that Acabaria biserialis of Ofwegen is not synonymous. Kumar et al. (2017: PY-B, 2019, 2019a) record that the species occurs in the region and give references.