Echinomuricea spinifera Nutting, 1910

Lam, Katherine & Morton, Brian, 2008, Soft corals, sea fans, gorgonians (Octocorallia: Alcyonacea) and black and wire corals (Ceriantipatharia: Antipatharia) from submarine caves in Hong Kong with a checklist of local species and a description of a new species of Paraminabea, Journal of Natural History 42 (9 - 12), pp. 749-780 : 764-765

Echinomuricea spinifera Nutting, 1910

( Figure 4D )

Echinomuricea spinifera Nutting, 1910:59 , pl. IX, figs 2, 2a, pl. XXI, fig. 6 Echinomuricea spinifera Okutani, 1994:44 , fig. 3, 4

Echinomuricea sp. Fabricius & Alderslade, 2001:195, fig. 2

Description

Colony white, flabellate, loose and irregularly branching at approximately right angles and beginning on the lower portion of the main stem. The main stem gives off a few long lateral branches near the base. Ultimate branches are swollen apically. The main stem and thin branches have diameters of between 4 to, 2 mm. Small and verruciform calyces are distributed over the colony surface. Calyx margin surrounded by a crown of sharp, flatted points which project from sclerites whose branched and foliaceous bases are embedded in the calyx walls. Transversely arranged sclerites fill the lower parts of the wall. The polyps are retractile with collarets just above the calyx margin. The most prominent form is dagger-shaped and consists of a basal portion with forked, tuberculate, foliaceous expansions and a distal single blade with smooth sharp edges and a length of up to 0.6 mm. Other sclerites are thin and curved spindles, 0.45 mm long. All sclerites are colourless. Axis flexible, dark brown.

Type locality

New Guinea, Aru Islands (South Pacific) .

Distribution

South Pacific, Japan, Hong Kong.

Remarks

Two and one specimens were collected from Steep Island and Conic Island caves, respectively. Sizes were 150 mm × 300 mm, 150 mm × 300 mm and 100 mm × 40 mm. This species is a new record for Hong Kong.

Figures

Figure 4. Living specimens of octocorals belonging to the Plexauridae and Ellisellidae. A, Echinogorgia sp. 1; B, Echinogorgia pseudosassapo; C, Echinogorgia sp. 2; D, Echinomuricea spinifera and E, Verrucella sp. Scale bar52 cm.