The Azooxanthellate Scleractinia (Coelenterata: Anthozoa) of Australia
Author
Cairns, S. D.
text
Records of the Australian Museum
2004
56
259
329
journal article
2201-4349
Stephanocyathus (O.) weberianus
(Alcock, 1902)
Stephanotrochus weberianus
Alcock, 1902a: 101–102
.
?
Stephanocyathus nobilis
.–
Wells, 1958: 262
(
listed: NSW
); 1964: 109 (
listed: NSW
).–
Veron, 1986: 607
(
listed
).
Stephanocyathus (O.) weberianus
.–
Cairns, 1994: 57–58
, pl. 25d– f (synonymy, description); 1995: 68, pl.
17g
–i (
SM
).–Cairns & Zibrowius, 1997: 119–120, figs.
14g
,h (synonymy, remarks).–
Cairns, 1999a: 89–90
.
New records
.
NEW SOUTH WALES
:
Kapala
76/24/03, 3,
AM
G16412
;
Kapala
79/20/13, 2,
AM
G15237
.—
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
: off
Carnarvon
(station “D30”), 3, depth unknown,
WAM
Z13253
;
Lady Basten
1031201, 1,
WAM
Z16003
. —
QUEENSLAND
:
Franklin
06/88/04, 7: 1,
MTQ
G30350
,
and 6,
USNM 86561
;
Franklin
06/88/20, 1,
AM
G16664
;
Cidaris
I 1-3, 31,
MTQ
G55649–55650
;
Cidaris
I 1-4, 7,
MTQ
G55651
;
Cidaris
I 44-3, 2,
MTQ
G55655
;
Cidaris
I 45-2, 1,
MTQ
G55656
;
Cidaris
I 49-2, 9,
MTQ
G55652
;
Cidaris
I 49-3, 16,
MTQ
G55653–55654
;
Cidaris
I 50-2, 17,
MTQ
G55657–55658
;
Cidaris
I 50-3, 9,
MTQ
G55659–55660
;
11°35'S
144°11'E
,
1006 m
, 1,
USNM 78617
;
25 miles
(=
40 km
) ne
Stradbroke Island
,
710–730 m
, 1,
SAM
TH8592
;
FNQ 79- 33, 5,
AM
G16523
.
Types
.
The
holotype
is
ZMA
Coel. 1322. Type Locality:
8°43.1'S
127°16.7'E
(Timor Sea),
828 m
.
Remarks
. It is unknown what data (?specimens)
Wells (1958
,
1964
) had in hand when he reported
Stephanocyathus nobilis
from
New South Wales
.
Stephanocyathus nobilis
and
S. weberianus
are quite similar and have been confused before (
Cairns, 1994
), but
S. nobilis
has not yet been substantiated to occur off
Australia
. Wells may have observed specimens of
S. weberianus
, not
S. nobilis
.
Stephanocyathus weberianus
and the previously discussed species,
S. coronatus
, are also quite similar, as discussed by
Cairns (1995)
. To reiterate,
S. weberianus
can be distinguished by having 12–18 costal projections integrated into a continuous basal rim (vs 12 discrete, complexly ornamented costal tubercles); less exsert S1–2; and a smooth, flat (not convex, costate) base. Off eastern
Australia
the species are also separated bathymetrically,
S. weberianus
found only shallower than
1050 m
,
S. coronatus
deeper than
1050 m
.