<documentID-CLB-Dataset="20210"ID-DOI="http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1089.77273"ID-GBIF-Dataset="7c9655fd-b9df-41bb-a862-e64cc2ed5d1b"ID-PMC="PMC8942965"ID-Pensoft-Pub="1313-2970-1089-37"ID-Pensoft-UUID="275ECAAA285E52C4BF3CCAB4D93C8DE9"ID-PubMed="35586606"ID-ZooBank="7AC63168D7624EB58118FD35110E6EE8"ModsDocID="1313-2970-1089-37"checkinTime="1647487770557"checkinUser="pensoft"docAuthor="Tu, Tzu-Hsuan & Dai, Chang-Feng"docDate="2022"docId="0CD547551DAB5D5285C8EEA3FB555287"docLanguage="en"docName="ZooKeys 1089: 37-51"docOrigin="ZooKeys 1089"docPubDate="2022-03-16"docSource="http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1089.77273"docTitle="Erythropodium taoyuanensis Tu & Dai 2022, sp. nov."docType="treatment"docUuid="A83374ED-B308-4C8C-9708-531A5A32840C"docUuidSource="ZooBank"docVersion="7"id="275ECAAA285E52C4BF3CCAB4D93C8DE9"lastPageNumber="37"masterDocId="275ECAAA285E52C4BF3CCAB4D93C8DE9"masterDocTitle="A new species of anthothelid octocoral (Cnidaria, Alcyonacea) discovered on an algal reef of Taiwan"masterLastPageNumber="51"masterPageNumber="37"pageNumber="37"updateTime="1732859543224"updateUser="ExternalLinkService">
<mods:titleid="ECAAFEF178B5B3F345610E1C97940C8C">A new species of anthothelid octocoral (Cnidaria, Alcyonacea) discovered on an algal reef of Taiwan</mods:title>
<mods:affiliationid="6E092B610AB2730758E7948EBF3352F1">Department of Oceanography, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung 804, Taiwan</mods:affiliation>
<taxonomicNameid="7AA72495BCF79DB2AC251F7C5C74B86F"ID-CoL="8YKPK"LSID="http://zoobank.org/A83374ED-B308-4C8C-9708-531A5A32840C"authority="Tu & Dai, 2022"authorityName="Tu & Dai"authorityYear="2022"class="Anthozoa"family="Anthothelidae"genus="Erythropodium"higherTaxonomySource="CoL"kingdom="Animalia"lsidName="Erythropodium taoyuanensis"order="Alcyonacea"pageId="0"pageNumber="37"phylum="Cnidaria"rank="species"species="taoyuanensis"status="sp. nov.">Erythropodium taoyuanensis</taxonomicName>
<figureCitationid="1A9279170CBCFD99B25089D77BF40C9C"captionStart="Figure 1"captionStartId="F1"captionText="Figure 1. Erythropodium taoyuanensis sp. nov. a intertidal population in situ b close-up of a c, d contracted polyps in situ e holotype (NMMB-CR 000148) in preserved state f paratype (NMMB-CR 000149) in preserved state."figureDoi="10.3897/zookeys.1089.77273.figure1"httpUri="https://binary.pensoft.net/fig/659356"pageId="0"pageNumber="37">Figs 1</figureCitation>
<figureCitationid="98723D3BE344DEEF32AE07F411C8ABBF"captionStart="Figure 2"captionStartId="F2"captionText="Figure 2. Erythropodium taoyuanensis, holotype, NMMB-CR 000148 a sclerites of the polyp b sclerites of the polyp wall c sclerites of the cortex."figureDoi="10.3897/zookeys.1089.77273.figure2"httpUri="https://binary.pensoft.net/fig/659357"pageId="0"pageNumber="37">, 2</figureCitation>
<figureCitationid="63155EDA60B35CF5E09E2EABEE5D76F3"captionStart="Figure 3"captionStartId="F3"captionText="Figure 3. Erythropodium taoyuanensis, paratype, OCT 133 NMMB-CR 000149 a sclerites of the polyp b sclerites of the polyp wall c sclerites of the cortex."figureDoi="10.3897/zookeys.1089.77273.figure3"httpUri="https://binary.pensoft.net/fig/659358"pageId="0"pageNumber="37">, 3</figureCitation>
<figureCitationid="C20DE874BD501CDC107B3705F8D04640"captionStart="Figure 4"captionStartId="F4"captionText="Figure 4. Erythropodium taoyuanensis, NMMB-CR 000151 a sclerites of the polyp b sclerites of the polyp wall c sclerites of the cortex d fused sclerites in the cortex."figureDoi="10.3897/zookeys.1089.77273.figure4"httpUri="https://binary.pensoft.net/fig/659359"pageId="0"pageNumber="37">, 4</figureCitation>
<materialsCitationid="3F8A60480C5C26DC5AC96E6BF3E311F4"accessionNumber="OK480042, OK483343, OK482879"collectingDate="2021-06-24"collectorName="T. - H. Tu, E. - J. Lin, GenBank"country="Taiwan"latitude="25.035513"location="Datan Algal Reef"longLatPrecision="1"longitude="121.048904"specimenCount="1"stateProvince="Taoyuan"typeStatus="Holotype">
<materialsCitationid="37552A1D3D4F76AA7717B6342FA2759B"accessionNumber="OK480042, OK483343, OK482879"collectingDate="2022-01-01"collectingDateMax="2022-12-31"collectingDateMin="2022-01-01"collectorName="T. - H. Tu & E. - J. Lin & GenBank"country="Taiwan"latitude="25.035513"location="Taiwan"longLatPrecision="1"longitude="121.048904"specimenCount="1"stateProvince="Taoyuan"typeStatus="Paratype">
<materialsCitationid="919493652D2437EDBBA4BF212F840B1A"collectingDate="2020-09-21"collectorName="M. - H. Lin, L. - C. Liu"country="Taiwan"location="Taiwan"specimenCount="1">
The holotype colony is composed of upright polyps arising separately from a encrusting membrane less than 1 mm thick or a network of ribbon-like stolons. When fully extended, polyps are around 3 mm long, and the tentacles are slender with 10-13 pairs of pinnules on either side of the rachis. Polyps are contractile and cannot fully retract into the basement layer.
<figureCitationid="22D3486C6B3EFF78763F9C89E7C7F146"captionStart="Figure 1"captionStartId="F1"captionText="Figure 1. Erythropodium taoyuanensis sp. nov. a intertidal population in situ b close-up of a c, d contracted polyps in situ e holotype (NMMB-CR 000148) in preserved state f paratype (NMMB-CR 000149) in preserved state."figureDoi="10.3897/zookeys.1089.77273.figure1"httpUri="https://binary.pensoft.net/fig/659356"pageId="0"pageNumber="37">1</figureCitation>
<figureCitationid="1DEC8A87E3BE8C0E01759C8961FEC3E1"captionStart="Figure 2"captionStartId="F2"captionText="Figure 2. Erythropodium taoyuanensis, holotype, NMMB-CR 000148 a sclerites of the polyp b sclerites of the polyp wall c sclerites of the cortex."figureDoi="10.3897/zookeys.1089.77273.figure2"httpUri="https://binary.pensoft.net/fig/659357"pageId="0"pageNumber="37">2</figureCitation>
The holotype is an encrusting colony and attaching on barnacles and coralline algal substrate. When alive, the colony consisted of densely distributed polyps, up to 20/cm2, arising from the basement layer, which is completely covered by sand (Fig.
<figureCitationid="B5C3780FAB43F22CF46FF77267B46A24"captionStart="Figure 1"captionStartId="F1"captionText="Figure 1. Erythropodium taoyuanensis sp. nov. a intertidal population in situ b close-up of a c, d contracted polyps in situ e holotype (NMMB-CR 000148) in preserved state f paratype (NMMB-CR 000149) in preserved state."figureDoi="10.3897/zookeys.1089.77273.figure1"httpUri="https://binary.pensoft.net/fig/659356"pageId="0"pageNumber="37">1a</figureCitation>
<taxonomicNameid="528E3DC07B881FB356251B39BE035BCE"authorityName="Tu & Dai"authorityYear="2022"class="Anthozoa"family="Anthothelidae"genus="Erythropodium"higherTaxonomySource="CoL"kingdom="Animalia"lsidName="Erythropodium taoyuanensis"order="Alcyonacea"pageId="0"pageNumber="37"phylum="Cnidaria"rank="species"species="taoyuanensis">
<figureCitationid="E4C6966C3EAC24CDA489C289553D2D22"captionStart="Figure 1"captionStartId="F1"captionText="Figure 1. Erythropodium taoyuanensis sp. nov. a intertidal population in situ b close-up of a c, d contracted polyps in situ e holotype (NMMB-CR 000148) in preserved state f paratype (NMMB-CR 000149) in preserved state."figureDoi="10.3897/zookeys.1089.77273.figure1"httpUri="https://binary.pensoft.net/fig/659356"pageId="0"pageNumber="37">1b</figureCitation>
<figureCitationid="C1158CBBA1F8E5C1DE38A7D3573D2E2A"captionStart="Figure 1"captionStartId="F1"captionText="Figure 1. Erythropodium taoyuanensis sp. nov. a intertidal population in situ b close-up of a c, d contracted polyps in situ e holotype (NMMB-CR 000148) in preserved state f paratype (NMMB-CR 000149) in preserved state."figureDoi="10.3897/zookeys.1089.77273.figure1"httpUri="https://binary.pensoft.net/fig/659356"pageId="0"pageNumber="37">1b</figureCitation>
<figureCitationid="A57FE3D73BD0BE0470B36EE40B8A4A70"captionStart="Figure 1"captionStartId="F1"captionText="Figure 1. Erythropodium taoyuanensis sp. nov. a intertidal population in situ b close-up of a c, d contracted polyps in situ e holotype (NMMB-CR 000148) in preserved state f paratype (NMMB-CR 000149) in preserved state."figureDoi="10.3897/zookeys.1089.77273.figure1"httpUri="https://binary.pensoft.net/fig/659356"pageId="0"pageNumber="37">1</figureCitation>
<figureCitationid="D6E54737108F93DBC1EC06ECD4009ACF"captionStart="Figure 1"captionStartId="F1"captionText="Figure 1. Erythropodium taoyuanensis sp. nov. a intertidal population in situ b close-up of a c, d contracted polyps in situ e holotype (NMMB-CR 000148) in preserved state f paratype (NMMB-CR 000149) in preserved state."figureDoi="10.3897/zookeys.1089.77273.figure1"httpUri="https://binary.pensoft.net/fig/659356"pageId="0"pageNumber="37">1c, d</figureCitation>
are present in all parts of the holotype and evenly distributed in the coenenchyme, polyp body wall, tentacles, and pinnules. Six-radiate sclerites are the commonest type, representing more than 90% of sclerites in anthocodiae and tentacles. They are 0.032-0.068 mm in length and 0.025-0.036 mm in width with simple tubercles (Fig.
<figureCitationid="400FED4F7ADD694B3CC0520E46CD3BA0"captionStart="Figure 2"captionStartId="F2"captionText="Figure 2. Erythropodium taoyuanensis, holotype, NMMB-CR 000148 a sclerites of the polyp b sclerites of the polyp wall c sclerites of the cortex."figureDoi="10.3897/zookeys.1089.77273.figure2"httpUri="https://binary.pensoft.net/fig/659357"pageId="0"pageNumber="37">2a</figureCitation>
). The polyp wall contains abundant 6-radiate sclerites, derivatives of radiates which are 0.028-0.132 mm in length and 0.025-0.083 mm in width, with prominent tubercles and table-radiates (Fig.
<figureCitationid="9C41E7E0AB5E861354F84EDAD41DEDD5"captionStart="Figure 2"captionStartId="F2"captionText="Figure 2. Erythropodium taoyuanensis, holotype, NMMB-CR 000148 a sclerites of the polyp b sclerites of the polyp wall c sclerites of the cortex."figureDoi="10.3897/zookeys.1089.77273.figure2"httpUri="https://binary.pensoft.net/fig/659357"pageId="0"pageNumber="37">2b</figureCitation>
in the cortex are similar to those of the polyp wall but larger in size, including 6-radiate sclerites (0.042-0.120 mm in length and 0.034-0.076 mm in width) and irregular radiates (0.046-0.080 mm in length and 0.100-0.130 mm in width) (Fig.
<figureCitationid="3E55BCCB345A80DBF060B21A564F13BC"captionStart="Figure 2"captionStartId="F2"captionText="Figure 2. Erythropodium taoyuanensis, holotype, NMMB-CR 000148 a sclerites of the polyp b sclerites of the polyp wall c sclerites of the cortex."figureDoi="10.3897/zookeys.1089.77273.figure2"httpUri="https://binary.pensoft.net/fig/659357"pageId="0"pageNumber="37">2c</figureCitation>
<taxonomicNameid="18A916E793248CAE012C0456EDB120C3"authorityName="Tu & Dai"authorityYear="2022"class="Anthozoa"family="Anthothelidae"genus="Erythropodium"higherTaxonomySource="CoL"kingdom="Animalia"lsidName="Erythropodium taoyuanensis"order="Alcyonacea"pageId="0"pageNumber="37"phylum="Cnidaria"rank="species"species="taoyuanensis">
In life, colors of tissue, autozooids, and cortical layer are translucent, white to yellowish, and pink to magenta, respectively. Under light microscope, sclerites are translucent, magenta, or reddish.
Paratype (NMMB-CR000149) and non-type specimens (NMNB-CR000150 and NMNB-CR000151) show variation in the density of polyps ranging 5-20/cm2. Six-radiate sclerites are the commonest type of sclerites in the examined specimens, while their sizes are varied not only in different parts of a colony but also differ from what was observed in the holotype and across the specimens. The length and width of 6-radiate sclerites in the examined specimens is 0.020-0.068 mm and 0.020-0.053 mm, respectively, in polyp tissue; 0.024-0.098 mm and 0.018-0.070 mm, respectively, in polyp wall; and 0.022-0.118 mm and 0.026-0.075 mm, respectively, in cortex (Figs
<figureCitationid="0F2CD9DAB41BE95E50D52B7C48030A0F"captionStart="Figure 3"captionStartId="F3"captionText="Figure 3. Erythropodium taoyuanensis, paratype, OCT 133 NMMB-CR 000149 a sclerites of the polyp b sclerites of the polyp wall c sclerites of the cortex."figureDoi="10.3897/zookeys.1089.77273.figure3"httpUri="https://binary.pensoft.net/fig/659358"pageId="0"pageNumber="37">3</figureCitation>
<figureCitationid="56B57C81611238540659D1A64F6A1FCB"captionStart="Figure 4"captionStartId="F4"captionText="Figure 4. Erythropodium taoyuanensis, NMMB-CR 000151 a sclerites of the polyp b sclerites of the polyp wall c sclerites of the cortex d fused sclerites in the cortex."figureDoi="10.3897/zookeys.1089.77273.figure4"httpUri="https://binary.pensoft.net/fig/659359"pageId="0"pageNumber="37">4</figureCitation>
). All examined specimens possess similar diagnostic features as the holotype from the level of colony to sclerits including upright polyps arising from a encrusting membrane, contraticle polyps, and predominant six-radiate sclerites. The major differences between examined specimens are reflected in the density and size variation of polyps and sclerites, respectively.
<taxonomicNameid="B7E8CE793A93A51D5D53D4D95046B95D"authorityName="Tu & Dai"authorityYear="2022"class="Anthozoa"family="Anthothelidae"genus="Erythropodium"higherTaxonomySource="CoL"kingdom="Animalia"lsidName="Erythropodium taoyuanensis"order="Alcyonacea"pageId="0"pageNumber="37"phylum="Cnidaria"rank="species"species="taoyuanensis">
<taxonomicNameid="414A2DA568857D20FE8AABBC8B5C914A"baseAuthorityName="Duchassaing & Michelotti"baseAuthorityYear="1860"class="Anthozoa"family="Anthothelidae"genus="Erythropodium"higherTaxonomySource="CoL"kingdom="Animalia"lsidName="Erythropodium caribaeorum"order="Alcyonacea"pageId="0"pageNumber="37"phylum="Cnidaria"rank="species"species="caribaeorum">
<tdid="317220F56613A6F69DCD228D8C46B4CA"colspan="1"pageId="0"pageNumber="37"rowspan="1">Retractile polyps with elongated pinnules arragned in a single pair of rows</td>
<tdid="4E729A11C29A791734C88E572F6DCBFA"colspan="1"pageId="0"pageNumber="37"rowspan="1">Dominant 6-radiate sclerites and irregular radiate scleirtes</td>
<bibRefCitationid="9D0DD9D7B3F036BDA44CF7CB0B737382"DOI="https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.11388"author="Duchassaing de Fombressin, P"journalOrPublisher="Imprimerie Royale, Turin"pageId="0"pageNumber="37"refId="B7"refString="Duchassaing de Fombressin, P, Michelotti, G, 1860. Memoire sur les coralliaires des Antilles. Imprimerie Royale, Turin, DOI: https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.11388"title="Memoire sur les coralliaires des Antilles."url="https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.11388"year="1860">Duchassaing and Michelotti 1860</bibRefCitation>
<bibRefCitationid="BDFEEB72DB3E70345A20FD1132567EDF"author="Bayer, FM"journalOrPublisher="Studies on the Fauna of Curacao and Other Caribbean Islands"pageId="0"pageNumber="37"pagination="1 - 373"refId="B1"refString="Bayer, FM, 1961. The shallow-water Octocorallia of the West Indian region. Studies on the Fauna of Curacao and Other Caribbean Islands 12: 1 - 373"title="The shallow-water Octocorallia of the West Indian region."volume="12"year="1961">Bayer 1961</bibRefCitation>
<bibRefCitationid="F5AEA3589276AC10AAA7B40EFE04C248"DOI="https://doi.org/10.24199/j.mmv.1971.32.02"author="Utinomi, H"journalOrPublisher="Memoirs of the National Museum of Victoria"pageId="0"pageNumber="37"pagination="7 - 17"refId="B20"refString="Utinomi, H, 1971. Port Phillip Bay Survey 2. Octocorallia. Memoirs of the National Museum of Victoria 32: 7 - 17, DOI: https://doi.org/10.24199/j.mmv.1971.32.02"title="Port Phillip Bay Survey 2. Octocorallia."url="https://doi.org/10.24199/j.mmv.1971.32.02"volume="32"year="1971">Utinomi 1971</bibRefCitation>
<taxonomicNameid="8FD62A9E58D53BE7FC3553E47E8382B6"authorityName="Thomson & Mackinnon"authorityYear="1910"class="Anthozoa"family="Anthothelidae"genus="Erythropodium"higherTaxonomySource="CoL"kingdom="Animalia"lsidName="Erythropodium salomonense"order="Alcyonacea"pageId="0"pageNumber="37"phylum="Cnidaria"rank="species"species="salomonense">
<bibRefCitationid="E7BD7A31DA26563852DBF95BB9F90CF2"DOI="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1096-3642.1910.tb00515.x"author="Thomson, JA"journalOrPublisher="Marine Ecology Progress Series"pageId="0"pageNumber="37"refId="B19"refString="Thomson, JA, Mackinnon, DL, 1910. Alcyonarians collected on the Percy Sladen Trust Expedition by Mr. J. Stanley. Part II. The Stolonifera, Alcyonacea, Pseudaxonia, and Stelechotokea. Transactions of the Linnean Society of London, Zoology, Series 2, 13: 165-211. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1096-3642.1910.tb00515.x"title="Alcyonarians collected on the Percy Sladen Trust Expedition by Mr. J. Stanley. Part II. The Stolonifera, Alcyonacea, Pseudaxonia, and Stelechotokea. Transactions of the Linnean Society of London, Zoology, Series 2, 13: 165 - 211."url="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1096-3642.1910.tb00515.x"year="1910">Thomson and Mackinnon 1910</bibRefCitation>
<taxonomicNameid="77CFB5C4B3130232CF43C4840F88AD97"authorityName="Tu & Dai"authorityYear="2022"class="Anthozoa"family="Anthothelidae"genus="Erythropodium"higherTaxonomySource="CoL"kingdom="Animalia"lsidName="Erythropodium taoyuanensis"order="Alcyonacea"pageId="0"pageNumber="37"phylum="Cnidaria"rank="species"species="taoyuanensis">
<tdid="5FD734DB7E497EE1597B8E5389806F37"colspan="1"pageId="0"pageNumber="37"rowspan="1">Think cortical layer, generally <1 mm</td>
<tdid="38B975737C3BFE3D9B1D0843CC0FD111"colspan="1"pageId="0"pageNumber="37"rowspan="1">Contractile polyps with 10-13 pairs of pinnules per tentacle</td>
<tdid="8C4225A9A3FDBB135235290AAC72F761"colspan="1"pageId="0"pageNumber="37"rowspan="1">Dominant 6-radiate sclerites and derivatives of radiates</td>
<taxonomicNameid="E25D07A256404E49A05EB36122C22F6E"authorityName="Tu & Dai"authorityYear="2022"class="Anthozoa"family="Anthothelidae"genus="Erythropodium"higherTaxonomySource="CoL"kingdom="Animalia"lsidName="Erythropodium taoyuanensis"order="Alcyonacea"pageId="0"pageNumber="37"phylum="Cnidaria"rank="species"species="taoyuanensis">
<bibRefCitationid="458B3B974C12AEBADA9F7566595F3944"DOI="https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.11388"author="Duchassaing de Fombressin, P"journalOrPublisher="Imprimerie Royale, Turin"pageId="0"pageNumber="37"refId="B7"refString="Duchassaing de Fombressin, P, Michelotti, G, 1860. Memoire sur les coralliaires des Antilles. Imprimerie Royale, Turin, DOI: https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.11388"title="Memoire sur les coralliaires des Antilles."url="https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.11388"year="1860">Duchassaing and Michelotti (1860)</bibRefCitation>
<bibRefCitationid="C11A41BFFFA8B5C4351EEF7F28CA6EC5"author="Bayer, FM"journalOrPublisher="Studies on the Fauna of Curacao and Other Caribbean Islands"pageId="0"pageNumber="37"pagination="1 - 373"refId="B1"refString="Bayer, FM, 1961. The shallow-water Octocorallia of the West Indian region. Studies on the Fauna of Curacao and Other Caribbean Islands 12: 1 - 373"title="The shallow-water Octocorallia of the West Indian region."volume="12"year="1961">Bayer (1961)</bibRefCitation>
include an encrusting and membranous carpet-like colony, retractile polyps, elongated pinnules, thick cortical layer, and predominantly 6-radiate sclerites (Table
, the thinner cortical layer, shorter pinnules, and contractile polyps are distinct features. Furthermore, the types and shapes of radiates are the main features to distinguish these two species. Compared with
sp. nov. possesses irregular radiates with generally enlarged tubercles having tiny protuberances. Compared with the creamy white and 3-mm-thick basal membrane in
sp. nov. is pink in the preserved state, similar to the color as in life, and thinner-generally less than 1 mm thick. Although pinnules in both species are arranged in a single pair of rows (one at each side of a tentacle),
<taxonomicNameid="45E69532BB07396C1BE4A67D6D08BC59"authorityName="Tu & Dai"authorityYear="2022"class="Anthozoa"family="Anthothelidae"genus="Erythropodium"higherTaxonomySource="CoL"kingdom="Animalia"lsidName="Erythropodium taoyuanensis"order="Alcyonacea"pageId="0"pageNumber="37"phylum="Cnidaria"rank="species"species="taoyuanensis">
sp. nov. is one of the dominant sessile organisms encrusting the rocks at this location and is generally restricted to near the low tidal line, and it may be exposed to the air during the spring low tide.
