[Cnidaria • 2020] Shallow-water Black Corals (Anthozoa: Hexacorallia: Antipatharia) from SW Madagascar

Arachnopathes ericoides (Pallas, 1766)   Cirrhipathes anguina (Dana, 1846)  Antipathes lentipinna Brook, 1889 in Terrana, Bo, Opresko & Eeckhaut, 2020.  DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4826.1.1

Abstract

Antipatharians, also known as black corals, represent a small group of anthozoan hexacorallians found in all oceans of the world. They are generally considered a deep-water taxon; however, some of the most diverse communities are known from tropical shallow waters. With a few poorly detailed exceptions, shallow-water black corals from the Indian Ocean and especially those from Madagascar are mostly unknown. In this study, we report for the first time a highly diverse black coral assemblage of the Western Indian Ocean thriving in shallow waters and upper mesophotic depths (10–52 m depth) along the SW coast of Madagascar. A total of 22 species belonging to six genera (Antipathes, Arachnopathes, Cirrhipathes, Cupressopathes, Myriopathes and Stichopathes) and two families (Antipathidae and Myriopathidae) are described, of which 20 are found in the northern pass of the Great Reef of Toliara, thus representing the most diverse site of the areas investigated. Most of the shallow-water species from the Indian Ocean were originally described more than a century ago, sometimes without being reported again until now. All the descriptions herein rely solely on morphology and include detailed in situ pictures and scanning electron microscope images, in addition to range expansions for many species.

Keywords: Animalia, Antipathidae, Myriopathidae, Indian Ocean, taxonomy, Toliara 

Antipathes lentipinna Brook, 1889 specimen INV.131337. (a) Entire colony in situ. (b) Detailed view of the branching pattern in situ. (c) Detailed view of the contracted and expanded polyps in situ. Antipathes cf. pseudodichotoma Silberfeld, 1909 specimen INV.131364. (a, b) Entire colony measuring about 25 cm in height. Antipathes cf. virgata sensu Esper, 1788 specimen INV.131349. (a) Entire colony. (b­–c) Close-up views of the branching pattern and the polyps.

Family Antipathidae Ehrenberg, 1834

Genus Antipathes Pallas, 1766

Antipathes flabellum Pallas, 1766
Antipathes hypnoides (Brook, 1889)
Antipathes cf. pseudodichotoma Silberfeld, 1909
Antipathes cf. virgata Esper, 1788 

Genus Arachnopathes Milne Edwards, 1857 

Arachnopathes ericoides (Pallas, 1766) 

Genus Cirrhipathes de Blainville, 1834

Cirrhipathes anguina (Dana, 1846)
Cirrhipathes densiflora Silberfeld, 1909
Cirrhipathes cf. indica Summers, 1910
Cirrhipathes rumphii van Pesch, 1910
Cirrhipathes cf. spiralis (Linnaeus, 1758) 

Genus Stichopathes Brook, 1889

Stichopathes cf. diversa (Brook, 1889)
Stichopathes cf. maldivensis Forster Cooper, 1903 

Arachnopathes ericoides (Pallas, 1766) specimen INV.131342. (a) In situ colony in lateral view. (b) The same colony seen from above. (c) Close-up view of the branchlets on a distal branch. Cirrhipathes anguina (Dana, 1846) (a–h) In situ pictures showing the wide range of phenotypes that the species can present (a—INV.131378; b—INV.131369; c—INV.131373; d—INV.131379; e—INV.131360; f—INV.131359; g— INV.131362; h—INV.131363). All these phenotypes have the same spine morphology. Myriopathes cf. stechowi (Pax, 1932) INV.131335. (a) Entire colony in situ. (b) Close-up view of the branching pattern in situ. (c) Detailed view of the pinnulation.

Family Myriopathidae Opresko, 2001

Genus Myriopathes Opresko, 2001 

Myriopathes cf. myriophylla (Pallas, 1766) 
Myriopathes cf. stechowi (Pax, 1932) 
Myriopathes cf. ulex (Ellis & Solander, 1786) 

Genus Cupressopathes Opresko, 2001 

Cupressopathes abies (Linnaeus, 1758)
Cupressopathes cf. pumila (Brook, 1889) 

Lucas Terrana, Marzia Bo, Dennis M. Opresko and Igor Eeckhaut. 2020. Shallow-water Black Corals (Cnidaria: Anthozoa: Hexacorallia: Antipatharia) from SW Madagascar. Zootaxa. 4826(1); 1-62. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4826.1.1