The genus Litophyton Forskål, 1775 (Octocorallia: Alcyonacea: Nephtheidae) from Australia Author Van Ofwegen, Leen P. text Zootaxa 2020 2020-04-16 4764 1 1 131 journal article 22824 10.11646/zootaxa.4764.1.1 55f6b110-0a37-45fe-be1c-34e9a035fe0e 1175-5334 3764923 urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:53C5289A-156C-4AF1-B84A-73099A332C05 Litophyton crassum ( Kükenthal, 1903 ) ( Figs. 80a , 81 ) Nephthya crassa Kükenthal, 1903: 167 , pl. 8 fig. 16, pl. 9 figs. 61-62 ( Western Australia , Port Denison). Not Nephthea crassa ; Utinomi, 1954 b: 60 , fig. 3, pl. 2 fig. 2 (Kii, Japan ); Imahara, 1996: 25 (listed). Material examined . NHMW C2370 (material from Godeffroy museum, not as type in collection, but from Port Denison and the species mentioned by Kükenthal as being stored in the Natural History Museum Vienna ). Re-description . The holotype is 11.5 cm high and 6.5 cm wide ( Fig. 80a ). The stalk is 2.5 cm long. The polyps are up to 0.5 mm wide and high, mostly with expanded tentacles, and grouped in spherical catkins. Polyps . With arrangement of sclerites in abaxial and lateral points only ( Fig. 81 a-b). Abaxial and lateral sclerites are spindles with sparsely distributed blunt spines, largest present abaxially, up to 0.40 mm long, laterally they are up to 0.20 mm long ( Fig. 81c ). The adaxial sclerites are small curved scales, similar to those of the tentacles, up to 0.10 mm long ( Fig. 81d ). Straight small rods, up to 0.10 mm long, are present on the adaxial side of the polyp stalk ( Fig. 81e ). Spindles of the supporting bundle are up to 1 mm long, with simple tubercles, and not projecting beyond the polyp ( Fig. 81f ). FIGURE 69 . Litophyton type specimens: a-c, L . brachiatum n. sp. , a, holotype NTM C4154, b, paratype NTM C1473, c, paratype NTM C4179; d, L. bayeri ( Verseveldt, 1966 ) , syntypes RMNH 2239; e, L. debilis ( Kükenthal, 1895 ) holotype SMF 64; f, L . burfordensis n. sp. , holotype NTM C3171. All natural size. FIGURE 70 . Lateral views polyp armature of Litophyton species: a-c, L . brachiatum n. sp. , a, holotype NTM C4154, b, paratype NTM C1473, c, paratype NTM C4139; d, L. bayeri ( Verseveldt, 1966 ) , syntypes RMNH 2239; e-f, L . burfordensis n. sp. , e, holotype NTM C3171; f, paratype NTM C3174; g, L. darleyensis n. sp. , holotype NTM C1155, FIGURE 71 . Litophyton brachiatum n. sp. , holotype NTM C4154; a, abaxial point spindles; b, lateral point spindles; c, adaxial and tentacle scales; d, polyp stalk rods; e, supporting bundle spindles, partly; f-g, sclerites of surface layer top of stalk; h, sclerites of surface layer base of stalk. Scale at a also applies to e, g-h; scale at b also applies to c, f. FIGURE 72 . Litophyton brachiatum n. sp. , holotype NTM C4154; a, sclerites of surface layer base of stalk; b-c, spindles of interior base of stalk; d, tuberculation of interior base stalk spindle. Surface layer top stalk . Capstans and derivatives of capstans, 0.05-0.15 mm long ( Fig. 81g ); a few spindles and unilaterally spinose spindles are also present, up to 0.3 mm long, with simple tubercles ( Fig. 81h ). Surface layer base stalk . Capstans, derivatives of capstans, and a few spindles and unilaterally spinose spindles ( Fig. 81j ). Capstans 0.10-0.15 mm long and spindles up to about 0.30 mm long. Interior stalk . Spindles, up to 0.80 mm long, with pointed or blunt ends and simple tubercles; few with a side branch ( Fig. 81i , k-l)). Distribution . Western Australia : Port Denison. Remarks. The species resembles L. capnelliformis ( Thomson & Dean, 1931 ) , from Timor, Indonesia ( Fig. 80b ), regarding the internal stalk spindles with blunt ends ( Fig. 82g ). However, that species lacks unilaterally spinose sclerites ( Fig. 82f ). Noteworthy, the polyp sclerite arrangement of L . capnelliformis is not clear due to a large amount of detritus present in the polyps. Therefore, the one polyp drawn ( Fig. 82a ) could have rods in the adaxial side, the rods are possibly just hidden beneath the detritus.