Azooxanthellate Scleractinia (Cnidaria, Anthozoa) from South Africa Author Filander, Zoleka N. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6905-4440 Biodiversity and Coastal Research, Oceans and Coasts, Department of Environment, Forestry, and Fisheries, Cape Town, South Africa & Zoology Department, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa zfilander@gmail.com Author Kitahara, Marcelo V. Universidade Federal de Sao Paulo, Departamento de Ciencias do Mar, Santos, Brazil & Centro de Biologia Marinha, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Sebastiao, Brazil Author Cairns, Stephen D. Department of Invertebrate Zoology, Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC, USA Author Sink, Kerry J. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Cape Town, South Africa & Institute for Coastal and Marine Research, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa Author Lombard, Amanda T. Institute for Coastal and Marine Research, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa text ZooKeys 2021 2021-10-28 1066 1 198 http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1066.69697 journal article http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1066.69697 1313-2970-1066-1 133CE040A5AF44F1BC9A558C2F06A8AA BD84F4C3157550C9B64120B2BE53F01A Culicia sp. cf. australiensis Hoffmeister, 1933 Fig. 14J-L Culicia australiensis Hoffmeister, 1933: 12, pl. 3, figs 3, 4. - Wells 1958 : 263, pl. 1, figs 3, 4 . -Squires 1960 : 200, fig. 8 . -Cairns and Parker 1992 : 12-13, figs 2A, D, G. - Cairns 1998 : 371-372 . -Cairns 2004a : 273. Culicia sp. Veron, 1986: 600. Type locality. Off Marsden Point, South Australia, 31 m (Cairns 2004a ). Type material. Syntypes are deposited at the AM (Cairns 2004a ). Material examined. SAMC_A073032 (2 colonies): Eastern margin, 9 km from Shaka's Rock/ 12 km off Mhlali Estuary, 29°32'06.00"S , 31°19'47.99"E ; 50 m . Imagery data. Mortensen Stn. 23 (1 colony): Eastern margin, off Durban; 64 m. Mortensen Stn. 30 (1 colony): Eastern margin, off Durban; 94 m. SAM_H1236 (1 colony): Eastern margin, O'Neil Peak; 101 m. Description. Colony reptoid, composed of elongated individual corallites joined by stolons. Corallites cylindrical, with circular to elliptical calices (GCD:LCD = 1.0-1.1), and ≤ 6.8 mm in H. Calicular margin smooth. Epitheca smooth and thin. Septa hexamerally arranged in four cycles according to the formula: S1-2> S3> S4 (48 septa). S1-2 equal in width and bearing variable axial margin: sometimes smooth and in other cases dentate, both types extend to columella. S3 equal to or 1/3 smaller than S1-2, and bear a dentate axial margin. S4 rudimentary, also having dentate axial margin. All septa non-exsert and closely packed. Fossa moderately deep containing a papillose columella composed of granulated rods. Distribution. Regional: Eastern margin of South Africa, from off O'Neil Peak extending towards Durban; 50-101 m. Elsewhere: Australia (Hoffmeister 1933 ; Cairns and Parker 1992 ; Cairns 1998 , 2004a); 3-378 m. Remarks. Three other taxa ( C. tenella tenella Dana, 1846, C. tenella natalensis (Duncan, 1876), and C. excavata (Milne-Edwards & Haime, 1849)) are historically known to occur in the south-west Indian Ocean, all of which have three septal cycles, not four. Specimens examined most closely resemble C. australiensis in all characters (including a hexamerally arranged septa with four cycles), but differ in having a dentated, not smooth S1 axial margin. However, Culicia requires revision and, therefore, the examined specimens are tentatively reported as C. sp. cf. Culicia australiensis until the time that the taxonomy of this genus is reviewed.