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| Chironephthya sirindhornae
Imahara, Chavanich, Viyakarn, Kushida, Reimer & Fujita, 2020
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Abstract
Two new species of the genus Chironephthya, C. sirindhornae sp. nov. and C. cornigera sp. nov., are described based on three specimens collected from the Gulf of Thailand. Both species are well distinguished from the previously described species of the genus Chironephthya by their colonies consisting of multiple stems that stand upright from a common base, and by a significantly thinner canal wall without large spindles. As a result of phylogenetic analyses using COI, mtMutS, and 28S rDNA sequences of these two species, these three specimens constituted an independent small clade within a large mixed clade of Siphonogorgia and Chironephthya, with the two species slightly different from each other. The discrepancy in the morphology suggested the erection of a new genus to accommodate these species, however, as the subclade was included in a large mixed clade of Siphonogorgia and Chironephthya, we place these species within genus Chironephthya. Our results further highlight the continuing confusion between Siphonogorgia and Chironephthya, and demonstrate the need for taxonomic revision of these genera.
Keywords: Coelenterata, Chironephthya sirindhornae sp. nov., C. cornigera sp. nov., new species, common base, Octocorallia, Nidaliidae, Siphonogorgiinae, Gulf of Thailand
Systematics
Class Anthozoa Ehrenberg, 1834
Subclass Octocorallia Haeckel, 1866
Order Alcyonacea Lamouroux, 1812
Family Nidaliidae Gray, 1869
Subfamily Siphonogorgiinae Kölliker, 1874
Genus Chironephthya Studer, 1887
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| FIGURE 2. Live colony of Chironephthya sirindhornae sp. nov. (NSMT-Co 1703). |
Chironephthya sirindhornae sp. nov.
Japanese name: Hime-kudayagi
ปะการังอ่อน กรมสมเด็จพระเทพรัตนราชสุดาฯ สยามบรมราชกุมารี
Etymology. The specific epithet is named in honor of Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of
Thailand, who has initiated and implemented the Plant Genetic Conservation Project for maintenance and conservation of biodiversity both on land and in the ocean.
Chironephthya cornigera sp. nov.
Japanese name: Tsuno-kudayagi
Etymology. Specific name cornigera is a Latin word corniger = bearing horns, referring to the colony shape
in life.
Yukimitsu Imahara, Suchana Chavanich, Voranop Viyakarn, Yuka Kushida, James D. Reimer and Toshihiko Fujita. 2020. Two New Species of the Genus Chironephthya (Octocorallia, Alcyonacea, Nidaliidae, Siphonogorgiinae) from the Gulf of Thailand. Zootaxa. 4780(2); 324–340. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4780.2.6
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