Lebrunia coralligens (Wilson, 1890)

Gonzalez-Munoz, Ricardo, Simoes, Nuno, Tello-Musi, Jose Luis & Rodriguez, Estefania, 2013, Sea anemones (Cnidaria, Anthozoa, Actiniaria) from coral reefs in the southern Gulf of Mexico, ZooKeys 341, pp. 77-106 : 86-87

Lebrunia coralligens (Wilson, 1890) Figure 7; Table 2

Hoplophoria coralligens Wilson 1890: 379-386.

Lebrunea coralligens : Duerden 1898: 456-457.

Lebrunia coralligens : Stephenson 1922: 288.

Material examined.

Isla Verde reef (19°13'26"N, 96°05'56"W; three specimens); Isla Sacrificios reef (19°10'36"N, 96°05'39"W; three specimens).

Diagnosis.

Fully expanded oral disc and tentacles to 18-22 mm in diameter. Oral disc smooth, 3-5 mm in diameter, beige and translucent (Figure 7B). Tentacles hexamerously arranged in 3-4 cycles (about 24-52 in number), moderately long (about 5-8 mm length), tapering distally, inner ones longer than outer ones, contractile, gray or beige, translucent, with tips whitish or yellowish and scattered bluish dots along the entire length (Figure 7B, C). Column short, smooth, 3-6 mm in diameter and 6-10 mm in height, bright-brown with faint stripes corresponding to mesenterial insertions. Column distally with 4-6 outgrowths (pseudotentacles). Pseudotentacles branched, ending in globular-shaped vesicles with batteries of macro- and micro-basic p-amastigophores and basitrichs; bluish with gray or brown circle in center (Figure 7 A–C). Pedal disc well-developed, circular, 3-7 mm in diameter, light brown or beige, translucent (Figure 7C). Mesenteries hexamerously arranged in 2-3 cycles (12-24 pairs in specimens examined): first cycle perfect and sterile, others imperfect and fertile; more mesenteries proximally than distally (two and three cycles, respectively). Hermaphroditic (Figure 7G). Two pairs of directives each attached to a well-developed siphonoglyph (Figure 7D). Retractor muscles diffuse, strong; parietobasilar muscles with short and thick mesogleal pennon (Figure 7E, F). Basilar muscles relatively poorly developed (Figure 7H). Marginal sphincter muscle absent. Ectodermal longitudinal muscles in distal column. Longitudinal muscles of tentacles ectodermal (Figure 7I). Zooxanthellae present (Figure 7F). Cnidom: basitrichs, macrobasic and microbasic p-amastigophores, and spirocysts (Figure 7 J–V; see Table 2).

Natural history.

Lebrunia coralligens inhabits narrow fissures of live coral with only the end of the pseudotentacles visible, between 3-6 m. During the day, the tentacles remain contracted and the pseudotentacles fully expanded allowing the zooxanthellae (particularly abundant in this area) to capture sunlight; at night the situation is the opposite, allowing tentacles to capture food ( Sebens and DeRiemer 1977).

Distribution.

Western Atlantic, from Bahamas to Brazil, and along the Caribbean Sea ( Wilson 1890, Manjarrés 1978, Acuña et al. 2013, Varela 2002, Herrera-Moreno and Betancourt 2002). Lebrunia coralligens has been recorded in the Mexican Caribbean ( Jordán-Dahlgren 2008), and in the VRS ( González-Muñoz 2005, see Table 1).

Remarks.

Currently there are two valid species of Lebrunia , both of them distributed in the Western Atlantic ( Fautin 2013). They differ in the branched pseudotentacles: those of Lebrunia danae are long and dark-brown whereas those of Lebrunia coralligens are shorter, bright bluish-gray, with rounded ends ( González-Muñoz et al. 2012).