Ahermatypic corals (Scleractinia: Dendrophylliidae, Oculinidae and Rhizangiidae) recorded from submarine caves in Hong Kong Author Lam, Katherine Author Morton, Brian Author Hodgson, Paul text Journal of Natural History 2008 2008-03-31 42 9 - 12 729 747 http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00222930701862724 journal article 10.1080/00222930701862724 1464-5262 5224891 Dendrophyllia gracilis Milne-Edwards & Haime, 1848 ( Figure 1Q–R ) Cladopsammia gracilis Milne-Edwards & Haime, 1848:100 , Plate 1, Fig. 13 Cladopsammia gracilis Wells, 1983 , 240–241, Plate 17, Figs 10–14 Dendrophyllia gracilis Verrill, 1866:29 , Plate 1, Fig. 2 , Plate 2, Figs 2 and 2a Dendrophyllia gracilis Scott, 1984:87 , Plate 44A; Cairns 1991:23 , Plate 10a, b; Ogawa and Takahashi 1995:21 , Plate 5, Figs 1 –12, Plate 7, Fig. 8 Description Small bushy colonial corallum. Budding is mainly extratentacular on the corallite wall or basal coenosteum. Longer and shorter diameters of corallite up to, 9.8 mm and 8.5 mm , respectively;, 15 mm in height. The single Hong Kong specimen consists of four main corallites joined by the dead basal colony which had been smothered by mud. Cylindrical corallites are cup-shaped and range in size from 4– 5 mm in length and width and from 10–16 mm in height. Septal order is hexameral and in five cycles, with a duplicate P. plan. Septal size, in a descending order, is S 1 .S 2 .S 4 .S 3 . S 3 fused with a pair of S 4 which are, in turn, fused with a pair of curving S 5 . Large corallite with deep fossa may express a triplicate P. plan. Irregularshaped spongy columella is well-developed in deep fossa. Living colony is orange. Figure 1. Balanophyllia sp. and Dendrophyllia sp. A –B, calicular (longer diameter56.5 mm) and side view of four solitary corallites of B. eguchii (maximum height59.02 mm); C–D, calicular (longer diameter514.9 mm) and top view of a B. ponderosa colony (height531.3 mm); E–G, calicular (longer diameter57.8 mm) and side views of two colonies of D. arbuscula (colony size of F and G535.1 mm and 40.1 mm, respectively); H–I, top and side views of a small D. arbuscula colony (height518.2); J–L, calicular (longer diameter511.7 mm) and top views of two colonies of D. ehrenbergiana (height of K and L513 mm and 19.8 mm, respectively); M–N, calicular (longer diameter513.4 mm) and side view of a colony of D. coccinea (height527 mm); O–P, calicular (longer diameter58 mm) and side view of colony of D. compressa (height533.1 mm); Q–R, calicular (longer diameter59.9 mm) and four solitary corallites of D. gracilis (maximum height521.2 mm). Type locality China . Distribution Galápagos Islands ( Wells 1983 ; Cairns 1991 ), Indo-West Pacific and off eastern Australia ( Wells 1983 ), Japan ( Ogawa and Takahashi 1995 ), Conic Island Cave, Hong Kong (this study) but also flat, horizontal rocks, 20–25 m ( Scott 1984 ) to 45 m ( Verrill 1866 ).