New records of deep-water Scleractinia off Argentina and the Falkland Islands Author Cairns, Stephen D. Author Polonio, Virginia text Zootaxa 2013 3691 1 journal volume 10.11646/zootaxa.3691.1.2 8aa312d2-5105-4aea-8c40-191f8ea619b3 1175-5326 222205 D25D3DD9-8C09-4F9B-91AB-48853F444756 Flabellum thouarsii Mine Edwards & Haime, 1848 Figs. 3 N– O , 15 Flabellum thouarsii Milne Edwards & Haime, 1848: 265 , pl. 8, fig. 5.—Squires, 1969: 18, p. 6, map 4.—Cairns, 1982: 34–35, pl. 10, figs. 3–7 (complete synonymy). Remarks. Flabellum thouarsii is quite similar to F. curvatum , and their ranges are sympatric as well. In time they may be shown to be the same species or recently evolved from a common ancestor. Cairns (1982) listed six morphological distinctions between the species. He also mentioned a difference in depth ranges, although the specimens reported herein invalidate the distinction based on depth. The other six criteria are also somewhat variable. In essence, the primary way to distinguish F. thouarsii is that it usually has a shorter and straight (vs longer and bent) pedicel, it has a straight corallum (that of F. curvatum is usually slightly curved in the plane of the LCD), it lacks the fine serration on the axial septal edge in the septal notch region (adjacent to the calice), whereas F. curvatum usually does have this fine serration on its larger septa, it has a flatter elliptical calice, and it usually has more epizootic animals attached to its theca. Distribution. The distribution of F. thouarsii is essentially identical to that of F. curvatum ( Fig. 15 ), except for the outliers of southern Chile and South Georgia , at depths of 71–305 m (Cairns 1982); however, the records herein extend the known depth range to 1513 m , much deeper than previously known. FIGURE 15. Distribution of Flabellum thouarsii . Material. PAT1108DR1, 4, MNCN; PAT1108DR10R, 1, MNCN; PAT1208DR2, 11, MNCN; PAT1208DR17, 9, MNCN; PAT0209DR3, 1, USNM 1193307; ATL09Lo45, 1, MNCN; ATL09Lo53, 2, MNCN; ATL10Lo89, 1, USNM 1193306; WH 336-66, 1, USNM 83382.