Alcyonium purpureum Lamarck, 1836: 608 Alcyonium purpureum Parerythropodium fallax Day et al. 1970: 15 Parerythropodium purpureum Day, 1974: 34 Parerythropodium wilsoni Revisionary systematics of the endemic soft coral fauna (Octocorallia: Alcyonacea: Alcyoniina) of the Agulhas Bioregion, South Africa Mcfadden, Catherine S. Van Ofwegen, Leen P. Zootaxa 2017 2017-12-13 4363 4 451 488 (Luttschwager, 1922) Mcfadden & Van Ofwegen 2017 Luttschwager 1922 [151,625,1620,1646] Anthozoa Paralcyoniidae Tenerodus GBIF Animalia Alcyonacea 25 476 Cnidaria species fallax comb. nov.  Non  Alcyonium purpureumLamarck, 1836: 608.   Alcyonium purpureum(non Lamarck, 1836) Hickson, 1904: 215–217, pls. 7, 9; Thomson, 1910: 566–568, pls. 3–4; Lüttschwager, 1914: 25–26; Thomson, 1921: 156; Thomson, 1923: 47, 52, 68; Day et al. 1970: 15.    Alcyonium fallaxLüttschwager, 1922(nom. nov.): 520, 534; Lüttschwager, 1926: 288.   Alcyonium fauri(non Thomson, 1910) Broch, 1939: 8–11; Williams, 1992a (part): 277–282, fig. 1B; 1992b: 381–385, 396, fig. 20G; Branch et al. 2010: 38, fig. 12.8.    Parerythropodium fallaxDay et al. 1970: 15.   Parerythropodium purpureumDay, 1974: 34; Branch & Branch 1981: 152, pls. 34, 37.  ? Parerythropodium wilsoni(non Thomson, 1921) Day 1974: 34; Branch & Branch, 1981: 152.     Materialexamined. RMNH Coel.40218 (SAF013), CASIZ 222381(SAF014), SAF015, South Africa,  WesternCape, Mossel Bay, Phluffy Reef, 34º10.988'S, 22º09.745'E, depth  12–15 m, coll. C.S. McFadden, 0  8 March 2008.  RMNH Coel.40216 (SAF059), RMNH Coel.40215 (SAF067), South Africa,  EasternCape, Port Elizabeth, Algoa Bay, Bell Buoy 1, 33º58.927’S, 25º41.473’E, depth  20 m, coll. C.S. McFadden,  10 March 2008.  RMNH Coel.40214 (SAF072), CASIZ 222384(SAF073), SAF084, South Africa,  EasternCape, Port Elizabeth, Algoa Bay, Philips Reef, 33º15.933'S, 25º41.768'E, depth  10–12 m, coll. C.S. McFadden,  10 March 2008. SAF098, South Africa,  EasternCape, Port Elizabeth, Algoa Bay, Riy Banks, 33º59.069'S, 25º51.841'E, depth  14–17 m, coll. C.S. McFadden,  11 March 2008.  RMNH Coel.40217 (SAF383), SAF384, CASIZ 222395(SAF386),  South Africa,   WesternCape, CapePeninsula, Vulcan Rock, 34º03.970'S, 18º18.627'E, depth  15–27 m, coll. C.S. McFadden,  23 March 2008.   Description. As re-described by Williams (1992a),  Alcyonium fauriThomson  sensu latoencompasses material with a wide range of colony growth forms (“membranous, globular to capitate, or lobate”), colors (“purple, pink, white, golden yellow, orange, or dark smoke-grey to dark brown”), and polyp armature (polyp sclerites ranging from dense to very sparse or absent). We consider it likely that multiple species have been lumped within this broad definition of this taxon. Here we re-describe newly collected material that matches the original description of  Alcyonium purpureumHickson(=  Alcyonium fallaxLüttschwager) and Thomson’s (1910) later more detailed description of that species. Some of our material was collected from a site very close to the typelocality in Mossel Bay.   T. fallax n. comb.forms encrusting to lobate colonies in which the polyps arise from a membranous base and are fused together along their lengths to form a more-or-less homogeneous mass ( Fig. 13b, c). The polyps are prominent, and remain oriented vertically with their oral surfaces facing upwards, even when retracted. There is little colony coenenchyme between neighboring polyps, with the result that in those polyps that are located on the periphery of the colony the entire length of the polyp body remains visible and distinguishable from its neighbors. When fully retracted the polyps remain visible as coenenchymal mounds. Colonies range from encrusting, a few mm thick, to erect forms> 3 cmtall with multiple lobes. They often grow attached to other organisms such as worm tubes or bivalve shells. The polyp sclerites are robust spindles and slightly clubbed forms, 0.16–0.25 mmlong, with complex tubercles ( Fig. 15a), and torch-like clubs, 0.13–0.22 mmlong, with asymmetrical heads of smooth, spinose processes ( Fig. 15b). They are arranged in eight longitudinal tracts in the base of the polyp and extend distally to form points at the bases of the tentacles. A collaret of transverse sclerites is lacking. The tentacles have smooth, flat, antler-like rods, 0.12–0.18 mmlong ( Fig. 15c). In the surface of the polyparium and base of the colony there are radiates, 0.06–0.11 mmlong, and tuberculate spheroids, 0.08–0.13 mmlong ( Fig. 15d), in addition to the same typesof spindles and clubs found in the polyps. As one moves from the base of a polyp to the base of the colony the proportion of sclerite typesshifts gradually from predominantly spindles and clubs to predominantly radiates and spheroids, but there is no sharp demarcation in sclerite form between different anatomical regions. The colony interior contains mostly spheres and radiates of the same sizes and shapes as those found in the surface of the base ( Fig. 16).  Color. In life, vivid purple, yellow, pink, or white with purple or yellow highlights ( Fig. 5g, h). All colors turn brown to cream in EtOH. Sclerites colorless.   Remarks. Hickson (1904) first described  Alcyonium purpureumnon Lamarck, a bright purple colony collected from the jetty at Mossel Bay. Thomson (1910) subsequently identified this same species in his material. Thomson’s description and illustration of  A. purpureumHicksonbest matches the specimens described here: colonies consisting of a number of lobes arising from an encrusting membrane; sclerite forms are mostly clubs, spindles, tuberculate spheres and "double spheres", similar in all parts of the colony; spindles arranged in eight parallel bands and irregularly en chevronin the polyps; some radiates (“double clubs”) in the colony base; color in life due to a soluble purple pigment. From this description we conclude that our material corresponds to Thomson’s  A. purpureumHickson. Lüttschwager (1922)recognized that the name  A. purpureumused by Hickson was preoccupied by a species from Australia(  A. purpureumLinnaeus), and re-named the South African species  Alcyonium fallax nom. nov. In the same paper in which he identified purple, lobate colonies as  A. purpureumHickson, Thomson (1910)described  Alcyonium fauri, a brown, encrusting colony that lacks sclerites in the polyps and colony interior, and has only “double wheels” in the colony surface. From his illustrations these sclerites appear to be compact radiates or spheroids with sparse ornamentation and a median waist. Based on examination of material collected by Carlgren (and apparently not the material of Thomson), Broch (1939) concluded that there was wide variation in the degree of polyp armature and presence of interior sclerites among specimens, and consequently synonymized  A. fauriwith  A. fallax, the former name taking precedence. Williams (1992a) accepted Broch’s conclusion that  A. fauriand  A. purpureumHickson(=  A. fallaxLüttschwager) are synonyms, but he also does not appear to have examined the material of Thomson. Thomson's original material was also unavailable to us for examination, but based on his illustrations and detailed descriptions, we disagree that these two forms are synonymous, and retain the species name  fallaxfor material that fits the description given above. Thomson’s (1910) description of  A. fauridoes not closely match any species recorded subsequently from South Africawith the possible exception of  Porphyrophyton distinctum n. comb.(see remarks above for that species). Although Williams (1992a) illustrated the range of variation in polyp armature and sclerite form he observed among three colonies he examined, he did not indicate which specimens were illustrated or which sclerite variants came from which colony. The absence of such information makes it impossible to determine if any of the specimens he included within  A. fauri sensu latomatch those we recognize here as different species. The colony forms he illustrates in Figs. 1B, 13B, and 13E, and the polyp armature depicted in Fig. 14Amost closely match  T. fallax n. comb. 1705513502 2008-03-08 RMNH C. S. McFadden South Africa Material 14 -34.183132 Mossel Bay 1 22.162416 Coel. 27 478 CASIZ 222381 1 Western Cape 1705513518 2008-03-10 RMNH C. S. McFadden South Africa Coel. 20 -33.982117 Port Elizabeth 1 25.691217 Coel. 27 478 1 Eastern Cape 1705513507 2008-03-10 RMNH C. S. McFadden South Africa Coel. 11 -33.26555 Algoa Bay 1 25.696133 Port Elizabeth 27 478 CASIZ 222384 1 Eastern Cape 1705513511 2008-03-11 C. S. McFadden South Africa Port Elizabeth 16 -33.98448 Riy Banks 1 25.864017 Algoa Bay 27 478 1 Eastern Cape 1705513510 2008-03-23 RMNH C. S. McFadden South Africa Coel. 21 -34.066166 Western Cape 1 18.31045 South Africa 27 478 CASIZ 222395 1 Western Cape