Published February 7, 2023 | Version v1
Taxonomic treatment Open

Astrogorgia bengalensis Ramvilas & Alderslade & Ranjeet 2023, new comb.

Description

Astrogorgia bengalensis (Thomson & Henderson, 1906) new comb.

Muricella bengalensis Thomson & Henderson, 1906: 78, pl. 1, fig. 8, pl. 8, fig. 2 (Andamans; Bay of Bengal).

Opinion: This species occurs in the region but was originally misidentified.

Justification:

Literature analysis: This species was erected for material collected from the Bay of Bengal. The figured colony portions, particularly that in plate 1, fig. 8 can be interpreted as representing calyces and retractile polyps. As the sclerites of the calyces and coenenchyme are all spindles, we think it is safe to reassign the species to Astrogorgia. The specimen was described by Thomson & Henderson (1906) as being rose-red with a white tentacular operculum and appears to be very similar to A. milka Grasshoff, 2000, which is violet to pink with white calyces.

Notes

Published as part of Ramvilas, Ghosh, Alderslade, Philip & Ranjeet, Kutty, 2023, The taxonomy of Indian gorgonians: an assessment of the descriptive records of gorgonians (Anthozoa: Octocorallia: Alcyonacea) recorded as occurring in the territorial waters of India, along with neighbouring regions and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and the highlighting of perceived unethical practice, pp. 1-124 in Zootaxa 5236 (1) on page 44, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5236.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/7639327

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Linked records

Additional details

Biodiversity

References

  • Thomson, J. A. & Henderson, W. D. (1906) An account of the alcyonarians collected by the Royal Indian Marine Survey Ship Investigator in the Indian Ocean. 1. The Alcyonarians of the Deep Sea. The Indian Museum, Calcutta, 132 + xvi pp. https: // doi. org / 10.5962 / bhl. title. 8279
  • Grasshoff, M. (2000) The gorgonians of the Sinai coast and the Strait of Gubal, Red Sea (Coelenterata, Octocorallia). Courier Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg, 224, 1 - 125.