Euplexaura rhipidalis Studer, 1895

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 : 60-61

Euplexaura rhipidalis Studer, 1895

Euplexaura rhipidalis Studer, 1895: 155 , pl. 1, fig. 3; pl. 6, fig. 1–2 ( Singapore).

Not Acis alba Thomson & Henderson, 1905: 299 , pl. 3, fig. 9; pl. 5, fig. 4 ( Sri Lanka)

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

Justification:

These Indian records seem to be either invalid or unconfirmable: Kumar et al. 2014a: 84, pl. 39, fig. A–E (Guitor Island); Fernando et al. 2017: 78, pl. 33, fig. A–E (Guitor Island)

Literature analysis: The accounts given by Kumar et al. (2014a) and Fernando et al. (2017) are identical but it is impossible to know the true characteristics of their specimen as most of the description is taken word-for-word from Grasshoff (1999), even the exact size of the sclerites. This has led to their somewhat bushy colony with just a few irregularly branches being described as a fan, bent to one side, with some anastomoses in the older parts. Both the colony and the sclerites bear little or no resemblance to those figured by Studer whose specimen came from the Banda Sea in Indonesia. Grasshoff included Acis alba Thomson & Henderson as a synonym of E. rhipidalis but that species appears to be quite different with a pave-work of large, irregular shaped plates on the surface and forming low calyces.