New data on soft corals (Cnidaria: Octocorallia: Alcyonacea) from Nha Trang Bay, South China Sea Author Dautova, Tatyana N. Author Savinkin, Oleg V. text Zootaxa 2009 2027 1 27 journal article 10.5281/zenodo.186181 8342c0d0-1bb2-4dea-822b-058a67b03dae 1175-5326 186181 Sinularia manaarensis Verseveldt, 1980 ( Figs. 15–21 ) Sinularia manaarensis Verseveldt, 1980 : 86 –88; Fig. 43; Pl. 16, Fig. 3 ; Ofwegen & Slierings, 1994 : 93 (listed only). FIGURE 10. Sinularia arctium sp. nov. , holotype MIMB 16536, sclerites: A, polyp; B, clubs from the lobes and disk surface; C, notched tubercles on the head of a club. Material examined: MIMB 16535, 12 specimens , 12 10.5′ N , 109° 17′ E , 12 m , 18 Apr 2006 , Mot Island, Nha Trang Bay, South China Sea, Vietnam , coll. T.N. Dautova FIGURE 11. Sinularia arctium sp. nov. , holotype MIMB 16536, sclerites from the lobes and disk surface: A, longhandled clubs; B, club-like spindles and spindles. FIGURE 12. Sinularia arctium sp. nov. , holotype MIMB 16536, sclerites from the stalk surface: A, clubs; B, large robust clubs; C, club-like spindles and spindles. FIGURE 13. Sinularia arctium sp. nov. , holotype MIMB 16536, lobe interior sclerites: A, close-up of tubercles; B, spindles. Description. Living and preserved colonies are tree-like and 27–34 mm high ( Figs. 15 , 16 ); some of them are united at the base making them multi-stalked colonies ( Fig. 16 B). The lobes bear secondary lobules 2–4 mm across, with rounded tips. Their surface is uneven due to tiny pits of the retracted polyps. The distance between the centers of these pits is 0.8 to 1 mm . The sterile stalks are oval in cross-section and only slightly grooved longitudinally. The polyps are armed with warty rods and flattened spindles ( Fig. 17 A). The rods are mostly 0.075 to 0.14 mm in length and slightly flattened. Some of them are club-like because of more developed prominences at one end. The spindles are distinctly flattened and often curved. They are 0.75 to 0.23 mm long and bear warts. The sclerites of the lobule surface are warty clubs, club-like spindles and small spindles varying in length from 0.05 up to 0.7 mm . The clubs in most cases have a distinct central wart. The shafts of the smallest clubs are straight or slightly curved, sometimes with outgrowths at the end ( Fig. 17 B). The longer clubs may have narrow, straight handles or may be thickened and flattened for the whole or lower half of the handle ( Fig. 18 A, C). The clubs with the thickened handles can be up to 0.7 mm long; the largest ones are very remarkable ( Fig. 18 C, a, b). The central wart on their heads can stand apart, but is often indistinct because all head warts are well-developed, plump, and crowded close together ( Fig. 18 B). The thickened and flattened club-like spindles with non-ordered outgrowths on one end are transitional from thickened clubs to warty spindles with quite symmetrical ends ( Fig. 18 C, d). Club-like, thin spindles occur as well as thin spindles with few warts and spines ( Fig. 18 C). Crosses are rare ( Fig. 17 B). spindles are ornamented with complex crenellated warts, which sometimes are joined into flat solid plates ( Fig. 21 C, a). Coloration. The alcohol-fixed specimens are creamy white. The living colonies have creamy or yellow lobes and grey stalk; polyp tentacles are colorless. Distribution. Ceylon (Gulf of Manaar), a new record for Vietnam (South China Sea, Nha Trang Bay).