Savalia Nardo, 1844

Low, Martyn E. Y., Sinniger, Frederic & Reimer, James Davis, 2016, The order Zoantharia Rafinesque, 1815 (Cnidaria, Anthozoa: Hexacorallia): supraspecific classification and nomenclature, ZooKeys 641, pp. 1-80 : 17

Savalia Nardo, 1844

Savalia Nardo, 1844: 433, 434.

Savaglia Nardo, 1877: 674-676 [unjustified emendation].

Gerardia Lacaze-Duthiers, 1864a: 87.

Type species.

Gorgonia savaglia Bertolini, 1819, by monotypy (Articles 68.3, 68.3.1, ICZN 1999: 71).

Gender.

Masculine.

Diagnosis.

No mesogleal canal system in the column. Secreting a black or dark brown horny skeleton, azooxanthellate.

Remarks.

Examined species in this genus-grouping have branchiform endodermal or cyclical transitional sphincter muscle ( Swain et al. 2015). Distinction from the other skeleton-secreting zoantharians such as Kulamanamana or potentially Antipathozoanthus can be made through habitat (shallow vs. deep-sea) and/or molecular signatures.

There has been historical and recent controversy over the correct name for this genus-group, and this is discussed in detail in Appendix 3.