Deltocyathus magnificus Moseley, 1876

Kitahara, Marcelo V. & Cairns, Stephen D., 2009, A revision of the genus Deltocyathus Milne Edwards & Haime, 1848 (Scleractinia, Caryophylliidae) from New Caledonia, with the description of a new species, Zoosystema 31 (2), pp. 233-248 : 237-238

Deltocyathus magnificus Moseley, 1876

( Fig. 1A)

Deltocyathus magnificus Moseley, 1876: 552 , 553; 1881: 147, 148, pl. 4, fig. 10, pl. 13, figs 1, 2. — Gardiner 1899: 164. — Alcock 1902b: 20; 1902c: 49. — Faustino 1927: 76, pl. VI, figs 3-5. — Yabe & Eguchi 1932: 388; 1937: 128-130, 138-140, pl. 20, figs 13, 14; 1942: 126. — Eguchi 1938: 2, table 2, fig. 1a, b; 1965: 286, 2 figs. — Utinomi 1965: 254. — Eguchi & Miyawaki 1975: 57. — Keller 1982: 50. — Hu 1987: 39. — Grygier 1991: 43, fig. 21G. — Cairns & Parker 1992: 27, 28, pl. 7, figs j-l, pl. 8, fig. a. — Cairns & Keller 1993: 245. — Cairns 1994: 56, pl. 24, figs d, e, g, h; 1995: 74; 1998: 381, 382, fig. 4; 1999: 91, fig. 11i; 2004: 280. — Cairns & Zibrowius 1997: 126-127 a. — Cairns et al. 1999: 21.

Bathyactis palifera – Hoffmeister 1933: 14, pl. 4, fig. 6. Fungiacyathus paliferus – Wells 1958: 262. — Veron 1986: 598. — Cairns & Parker 1992: 6, 7.

Fungiacyathus sp. – Veron 1986: 598.

TYPE MATERIAL. — The single remaining syntype of Deltocyathus magnificus is deposited at the BMNH (uncataloged).

TYPE LOCALITY. — 5°49’S, 132°14’E (off Kei Islands, Banda Sea), 236 m.

NEW RECORDS. — HALIPRO 1, stn CP 877, 1 specimen (MNHN-Scl.2008-001); 1 specimen ( USNM 1114164 ) .

DISTRIBUTION. — New Caledonia waters (23°03.51’S, 166°59.20’E, 464-480 m). Previous records: east China sea, 88-422 m ( Cairns 1994) ; western Pacific from Japan to southeastern Australia, 88-1500 m ( Cairns & Zibrowius 1997) ; including Vanuatu region, 408-433 m (Cairns 1999) ; Sulu Archipelago , Moluccas, 118-1500 m ; Philippines, Indonesia, 8-522 m ( Cairns & Parker 1992) ; western Australia , 250 m ( Cairns 2004) .

DESCRIPTION

Corallum discoidal to hexagonal with a slightly concave base. Largest specimen examined (HALIPRO 1, stn CP 877) 25.5mm in calicular diameter and 7 mm in height, with a depression of 6 mm in diameter in centre of base. Costae equal thin ridges, finely dentate, being separated by wide furrows and extending up to 1 mm beyond calicular margin. C3-5 not present at centre of base. All costae laterally spinose especially near calicular edge, where intercostal furrows are deeper. Corallum white.

Septa hexamerally arranged in 5 cycles (S1≥S2> S3>S4-5), but any specimen examined display a complete fifth cycle, denoting their juvenile stage. S1 only independent septa, 6 mm exsert, joining columella through a wide palus that sometimes are divided at the upper margin in 3 paliform lobes. S2 equal to slightly less wide than S1, also joining columella through a wide and tall pali. S3 ⁄ width of S3, less exsert and bear a paliform lobe that fuses to P2 near columella. S4 half size of S3 and less exsert, joining P3 through a typical deltocyathid chevron arrangement. S5 less exsert but equal in width to S4, also bearing a paliform lobe that fuses P4.

Fossa very shallow, aligned with the 2 principal and opposite S1, containing a papillose columella variable in size, shape, and number of rods.

REMARKS

Among all species of the genus Deltocyathus that do not present coastal spines, only four can reach five cycles of septa in the adult stage: D. sarsi , D. magnificus , D. suluensis , and D. rotulus . Of these species, D. sarsi is known only from off Vanuatu islands ( Gardiner & Waugh 1938), and at 80 m in western Australia ( Cairns 2004). Among the other three species, all were collected off New Caledonia, and D. magnificus is easily distinguished by having a more robust corallum and a flat to concave base, and usually is whiter than D. rotulus and D. suluensis which normally present a reddish brown pigment in some parts of the coralla.