Scolymia wellsi Laborel, 1967

Neves, Elizabeth, Johnsson, Rodrigo, Sampaio, Claudio & Pichon, Michel, 2006, The occurrence of Scolymia cubensis in Brazil: revising the problem of the Caribbean solitary mussids, Zootaxa 1366, pp. 45-54 : 49-51

3. Scolymia wellsi Laborel, 1967 a

Material examined: UFBA 486-CNI (São José da Coroa Grande reefs, Pernambuco State, Brazil)

Diagnosis: Laborel (1967a): 11–12, figs. 1–3.

Distribution: Cuba, Southwestern Gulf of Mexico, South Florida, Bahamas. In Brazil: Parcel Manuel Luis (Maranhão State); São Pedro and São Paulo Rocks; Recife, Cabo de Santo Agostinho, Porto de Galinhas, Tamandaré (type-locality), São José da Coroa Grande (Pernambuco State); Alagoas State; Todos os Santos Bay, Abrolhos Archipel (Bahia State), and Espirito Santo State.

In: Laborel (1969/70), Zlatarski and Estalella (1982, as S. lacera forma wellsi ) Leão (1986), Humann (1993), Hetzel and Castro (1994), Chiappone et al. (1996), Maida and Ferreira (1997), Moura et al. (1999), Neves et al. (2002)

Holotype: Museum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris, MNHN Scle-20175

Description: Cup-shaped, solitary attached corallum, varying from lightly rounded, laterally compressed (elliptical, with flabelloid aspect) to deformed septal-crowed forms. Epitheca absent. Diameter in adult individuals around 5–6 cm (maximum of about 10 cm). Wall parathecate or feebly septothecate. Four complete septal cycles, fifth eventually complete and sixth cycle usually incomplete. Septal teeth numerous, long, fragile, with irregular size, eventually curved (‘hook-shaped’) bending toward the theca, sometimes ‘forkshaped’ due to fusion of adjacent elements, usually covered by small spine-like projections ascending from lateral septa face. Septa lateral faces regularly ornamented with rows of tiny spine-like granulations. Costae prominent with long and strong marginal dentition. Collumella often elliptical, derived from fusion of the distal teeth in a mesh-like arrangement.

Remarks: Studies on Brazilian mussids have pointed out important reproductive trends within the family. The endemic genus Mussismilia composed by colonial reef building corals ( M. hispida , M. harttii , and M. braziliensis ) are entirely represented by broadcast spawning species while the solitary S. wellsi broods the planulae (Neves 2002; Pires et al. 1999).