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
Genus:
Muricella
Preliminary remarks:
Species of
Muricella
do not have a calyx nor retractile polyps, but due to earlier confusion most species recorded in the older literature do have a calyx and retractile polyps and are generally assignable to
Astrogorgia
in the
Plexauridae
. Species of
Muricella
are very difficult to identify because they virtually only contain spindles, and they can only be separated if descriptions contain fine detail. Notwithstanding that, we fully agree with
Samimi-Namin & van Ofwegen (2009)
, “Without thorough revision of the genus
Muricella
we consider it impossible to identify species of this genus.”