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
Author
Ramvilas, Ghosh
0000-0001-5028-9058
ramvilas@kufos.ac.in
Author
Alderslade, Philip
0000-0001-5801-4681
phil.alderslade@csiro.au
Author
Ranjeet, Kutty
0000-0001-5028-9058
ramvilas@kufos.ac.in
text
Zootaxa
2023
2023-02-07
5236
1
1
124
journal article
54753
10.11646/zootaxa.5236.1.1
64c50077-1b03-44c5-9af9-0dac9180d62d
1175-5326
7639327
796FF9F5-E71F-4C69-92CC-CF4D6752BD77
Echinogorgia andamanensis
(
Thomson & Simpson, 1909
)
new comb.
Echinomuricea andamanensis
Thomson & Simpson, 1909: 203–204
, pl. 1, fig. 8; pl. 8, fig. 2 (Andamans).
Opinion: This species occurs in the region.
Justification:
These Indian records are either unconfirmable or seem to be invalid:
Thomas
et al
. 1998: 160–162
, fig 1B, 1–3 (off Kollam) as
Echinomuricea andmanensis
.
Literature analysis
:The species was described from the Andamans and is currently accepted as an
Echinomuricea
, but the colony has branch anastomoses, which is not a trait of
Echinomuricea
,
and the sclerites figured by the authors resemble those from a species of
Echinogorgia
.
Thomas
et al
. (1998)
described a reticulate colony, which combined with their sclerite drawings indicate they had a specimen of an
Echinogorgia
,
but both their account and that of
Thomson & Simpson (1909)
lack sufficient detail to be able tell if they refer to the same species. Rao & Devi only listed the species.