Muriceopsis sulphurea ( Donovan, 1825 )

Castro, C. B., Medeiros, M. S. & Loiola, L. L., 2010, Octocorallia (Cnidaria: Anthozoa) from Brazilian reefs, Journal of Natural History 44 (13 - 14), pp. 763-827 : 782-786

Muriceopsis sulphurea ( Donovan, 1825)

( Figures 1 , 7B, 7B′ , 9, 10)

For the synonymy previous to 1961 see Muriceopsis sulphurea in Bayer (1961: 162– 163, text–fig. 48a,b, pl. 2, fig. 8).

? Eunicea (Euniceopsis) calyculata: Tixier-Durivault 1970: 153–154 . [Non Gorgonia calyculata Ellis and Solander 1786: 95 , pl. 18, fig. 2].

? Muriceopsis petila: Tixier-Durivault 1970: 155 . [Non Muriceopsis petila Bayer 1961: 165–167 , fig. 49, pl. 4, fig. 2].

Muriceopsis sulphurea: Humann 1993: 48 (field guide); Hetzel and Castro 1994: 90–91 (photos only); Medeiros and Castro 1999: 1–20, figs. 1, 2.

? Muriceopsis bayeri Sánchez 2001: 167–171 , figs. 5–7, 10a.

Diagnosis

Colonies low, shrub-like, with profuse, irregular pinnate branching. Terminal branches 2–5 mm thick. Polyps forming shelf-like or nariform calyces. Coenenchymal outer layer as stout spindle, oval or oblong sclerites (at most 0.42–1.20 mm long in different colonies), with foliate or spiny processes on their outer surface, and some smaller torches or clubs not arranged in a special stratum at the surface. Axial sheath with slender spindles about 0.3 mm in length, yellow, rarely purple (emended from Bayer 1961: 163, to include variations in sclerite form present in Sánchez 2001, “ sulphurea ” clade).

Description

For a complete description see Bayer (1961: 162–163, text-fig. 48a-b, pl. 2, fig. 8).

Colonies can be low and bushy, with short branches, longer and irregularly pinnate, or any intermediate form ( Figure 7B ). Outer layer of coenenchyme with leaf spindles or sclerites with spines/tubercles more developed on the outer side and, less frequently, clubs (at most 0.42–1.2 mm long in different colonies) ( Figures 9A , 10 ). Middle layer, when present, with spindles, oblongs and ovals with small tubercles densely and uniformly disposed (at most 0.48–1 mm long in different colonies) ( Figure 9D ). Axial sheath sclerites spindles with more sparse tubercles than those from more external layers (at most 0.35–0.73 mm long) ( Figure 9B ). Calyces densely distributed, with their apex turned upwards and the lower side (closer to the branch origin) more developed than the upper side (closer to the branch tip) ( Figure 7B′ ). Forms with more slender branches with calyces slightly elevated only on the lower side (lower lip-like). Polyp sclerites as slightly flattened rods sculptured with sparse nodules (at most 0.11–0.22 mm long in different colonies); additionally tentacles with small, smoother rods (at most 0.05–0.08 mm long in different colonies) ( Figure 9C ).

Material

Puerto Rico (USNM 51931, 52031, 52193, 52194); Santa Lucia – Antilles (USNM 51416). Brazil: Paraíba (MNRJ 00455, 00456, 00457; UFPb 296, 396); Pernambuco: (MNRJ 03146); Alagoas (MNRJ 00520); Bahia (MNRJ 00450, 00451, 01395, 01989, 01990, 02197, 02200, 02236, 02585, 02725, 02739, 02788, 02835, 03065, 04310, 04588, 04591, 04592, 04593, 04594, 04595, 04596, 04597; USNM 5289, 5290, 5301; YPM 1515, 4510; UFPb 277, 281, 284, 285, 288, 293); Espírito Santo (MNRJ 00447, 00448, 00449, 00452, 00453, 00454, 00458, 00459, 00637, 00640, 01143, 01144, 02262); Rio de Janeiro, (MNRJ 00460).

Comparative material

Muriceopsis petila Bayer 1961 – USA: Florida ( USNM 50382 ).

Type depository

“Possibly in some collection in England ” according to Deichmann and Bayer (1959: 7).

Type locality

Brazilian seas ( Donovan 1825: plate 126).

Geographic distribution

Western Atlantic: Antilles ( Puerto Rico, Santa Lucia, “St Barthelémy”, Aurivillius 1931), Brazil (southwards to off the mouth of the Itabapoana River, border of Espírito Santo and Rio de Janeiro States) ( Figure 1 ).

Remarks

Groups of specimens collected in the same site usually display similar growth forms. Deichmann and Bayer (1959: 8) suggested that this pattern could be the result of varying environmental conditions. It is not known if there is a genetic influence on it.

Muriceopsis sulphurea can be distinguished from M. flavida (Lamarck, 1815) because the latter shows regular pinnate branching, smaller calyces and more delicate, sparser sclerites ( Bayer 1961: 163). Muriceopsis petila differs from the former in its sclerites being long, slender spindles, its thinner branches and sparser branching.

Sánchez (2001) reviewed the genus Muriceopsis . He studied specimens of all known species and described a new species: M. bayeri . He suggested that up to four different species might be present in Brazil. However, he mentioned only two or three lots of each species and a single lot of an undetermined (new?) species. Three morphs from Brazil, a “ sulphurea ” from Antilles, and his new species were included in a single branch on his consensus tree ( Sánchez 2001: fig. 12). An analysis of a large series of specimens showed great variation of the sclerites from the outer layer of the coenenchyme ( Figure 10 ). This can also be observed on several previously published figures ( Verrill 1912: pl. 29, fig. 1a, pl. 35, figs. 1, 1a; Deichmann and Bayer 1959: pl. 3; Bayer 1961: fig. 48b).

The two original illustrations of Muriceopsis sulphurea , which were drawn from specimens from “Brazilian seas”, show two different forms. The sclerites of Donovan’s type specimens have never been described. The specimens themselves are also unknown (see Deichmann and Bayer 1959). Therefore, Donovan’s specimens may belong to multiple species (see M. metaclados sp. nov.). As the name M. sulphurea has been associated with a common reef gorgonian since Deichmann and Bayer’s work (1959), we assume their description (shrub-like colonies) as the typical form of Muriceopsis . As a result of the great variation within these forms ( Figure 10 ), there may be more than one valid species within this “ sulphurea complex”, as suggested by Sánchez (2001). Therefore, we kept Sánchez’s whole “sulphurea branch” within this species. However, a thorough review is needed to clarify its situation.

Figures

Figure 1. Map of distribution of reef octocorals in different regions off the Brazilian coastline. The Espírito Santo State area (*) includes the Vitória- Trindade seamount chain. “BA Sector” refer to a division of reef areas in Bahia State by Leão (1996).

Figure 7. Muricea flamma Marques and Castro, 1995 (MNRJ 04145): (A) colony, (A′) branches. Muriceopsis sulphurea (Donovan, 1825) (MNRJ 00640): (B) colony, (B′) branches. Muriceopsis metaclados sp. nov. (MNRJ 03281 – holotype): (C) colony, (C′) branches. Scale bars: A–C, 2 cm; A′–C′, 5 mm.

Figure 9. Sclerites of Muriceopsis sulphurea (Donovan, 1825) (MNRJ 00640): (A) outer layer of coenenchyme; (B) axial sheath of coenenchyme; (C) anthocodia; (D) middle layer of coenenchyme.

Figure 10. Sclerites of Muriceopsis sulphurea (Donovan, 1825), outer layer of coenenchyme: (A) MNRJ 01989; (B) MNRJ 00640; (C) MNRJ 04591; (D) MNRJ 01144; (E) MNRJ 03065; (F) MNRJ 03146.