Sandalolitha boucheti Hoeksema 2012, n. sp.
Creators: name: Hoeksema, Bert W.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2012
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Cnidaria
Anthozoa
Scleractinia
Fungiidae
Sandalolitha
Sandalolitha boucheti

description: <i>Sandalolitha boucheti</i> n. sp. TYPE MATERIAL. — Holotype: SANTO 2006, stn FR8, Vanuatu, Espiritu Santo, SE coast, E Aoré Island, S Aïmbuéi Bay, 15°19’50,8’’S, 167°07’18,5’’E, depth 4 m., 14.IX.2006, B. W. Hoeksema (RMNH Coel. 40125; Fig. 11). Paratype: SANTO 2006, stn FR20, Vanuatu, Espiritu Santo, SE coast, E Aoré Island, S Aïmbuéi Bay, 15°19’53,4’’S, 167°07’26,5’’E, depth 8 m, 19.IX.2006, B. W. Hoeksema (RMNH Coel. 40126; Fig. 12). OTHER MATERIAL. — Malaysia, eastern Sabah, Semporna area, Ligitan Reef 1, South, Yoshi Point, 4°14’05.8’’N, 118°33’26.7’’E, depth 15 m, 1.XII.2010, B. W.Hoeksema, (RMNH Coel. 39964; Figs 13; 14). TYPE LOCALITY. — Vanuatu, Espiritu Santo. GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION. — <i>Sandalolitha boucheti</i> n. sp. is so far only known from Vanuatu (West Pacific) and northeastern Borneo (Sulawesi Sea). ETYMOLOGY. — Named after Prof. Philippe Bouchet, leader of the marine component of the SANTO 2006 expedition. DIAGNOSIS. — Corals relatively smaller than congeners with septa that are finer densely packed and nearly of similar height, and with fine dentations (Table 2). DESCRIPTION Adult animals free-living. Polyps polystomatous by circumstomadaeal budding over the whole upper coral surface. Outline of corals varying from irregularly circular to oval. Corals varying from highly arched to slightly cup-shaped with a concave upper surface; length range: 8.0- 13.5 cm. Septa densely packed and straight, except around stomata, where they bend. Lower order septa thicker and more protruding than those of higher orders.Septa in small corals and higher order septa in larger corals fenestrate. Tentacular lobes absent. Septal margins finely ornamented with irregular serrate dentations, varying from 15 to 30 per cm (Fig. 11B). Septal sides covered by unevenly distributed coarse granulations.Compound synapticulae connecting the septa laterally not easily distinguishable because of the tight septal arrangement. Stomata more or less evenly distributed over the coral surface. Columellae poorly developed, consisting of rudimentary trabeculae. Corallum wall perforated, covered by granulations and without fragmentation clefts. Large detachment scar (diameter 1.0- 2.8 cm) distinct (Fig. 13C). Costae unequal in thickness and height, straight and distinct near the corallum margin, but less distinct near the centre; coarsely ornamented with echinous spines, varying from 15 to 30 per cm (Fig. 11C). Living animal light brown (Fig. 14). Small tentacles colourless and translucent. REMARKS Morphologically <i>S.boucheti</i> n.sp. shares some characters with either one of the other two <i>Sandalolitha</i> species, <i>S. robusta</i> and <i>S. dentata</i> (Table 2). With regard to stomata distribution,it resembles <i>S.robusta</i> by showing more or less evenly distributed stomata over the upper surface,while <i>S.dentata</i> has most stomata concentrated at the centre. With <i>S. dentata</i> it shares serrate septal dentations, while those of <i>S. robusta</i> are more lobate. Both type specimens show an oval shape, which is also common in <i>S. dentata</i>. However, compared to both other <i>Sandalolitha</i> species, it has finer septal and costal ornamentations and thinner septa and costae, which appear to be more densely arranged than in the other two species. <i>S. boucheti</i> n. sp. also differs from the other two species by being light brown in colour and from <i>S. dentata</i> in particular by lacking patches of green (see Hoeksema &amp; Van Ofwegen 2004). <i>S. dentata</i> was not recorded at Vanuatu (Table 1).
description: Published as part of <i>Hoeksema, Bert W., 2012, Mushroom corals (Scleractinia, Fungiidae) of Espiritu Santo (Vanuatu, West Pacific), with the description of a new species, pp. 429-443 in Zoosystema 34 (2)</i> on pages 436-437, DOI: 10.5252/z2012n2a14, http://zenodo.org/record/5165531
description: {"references": ["HOEKSEMA B. W. &amp; VAN OFWEGEN L. P. 2004. - Indo- Malayan Reef Corals: a Generic Overview. World Biodiversity database, CD-ROM Series ETI, Amsterdam."]}