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
Echinomuricea uliginosa
Thomson & Simpson, 1909
, var.
tenerior
Thomson & Crane, 1909
Echinomuricea uliginosa
var.
tenerior
Thomson & Crane, 1909: 132–133
, figs. 9, 10, 13 (Dwaraka,
Gujarat
);
Thomson & Crane 1909a: 364
(Dwaraka,
Gujarat
—same material).
Opinion: This taxon does occur in the region but its true identity is unknown.
Justification:
Literature analysis
: Thomson & Crane’s description included an illustration of the unbranched colony and one of a portion in close-up, both drawn in an artistic fashion. There are also 7 sclerite drawings. The thornscales are not of the
Echinomuricea
form but are more like those of
Paramuricea
or
Placogorgia
and are very long. The surface of the coenenchyme is described as being covered in long warty spindles and the material appears to be quite different from that originally identified as
Echinomuricea uliginosa
by Thomson and Simpson.
Venkataraman
et al
. (2004)
just lists the species.