SONY DSC
Species ID
OC-SP-0003400
Pathway
Phylum
Cnidaria
Species ID
OC-SP-0003400
Provisional Species Name
Nicella sp_RMNH COEL.6267
Lowest Valid Taxon Name in WoRMS
Nicella
Lowest Known Rank
Genus
Status
Pathway
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Embargo
No
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Cnidaria
Class
Octocorallia
Order
Scleralcyonacea
Family
Ellisellidae
Genus
Nicella
Taxonomic Remarks
This is the new species from the historical museum collection (Naturalis Biodiversity Centre, The Netherlands), which was discovered during the Species Discovery Awards travels. There is only one nominal species, Nicella dichotoma (Gray, 1860), from Mauritius, the Indian Ocean. The specimen was previously misidentified as Nicella granifera, an Atlantic species. The sclerites of this specimen have a typical Nicella character, but the colours of the sclerites and the branching pattern are different and have never been reported from the Indian Ocean. It has never been reported from the Indian Ocean. This is the second record of this genus from Mauritius and the fifth species from the Indian Ocean.
Description of Material
Colony: two large dried pieces, possibly originally Height 19.5 cm, width 25.0 cm without holdfast (Fig.1) The whole colony has a yellowish colour. Branching patterns: Flabellate with alternate pinnate at the tip; fine branchlets are irregularly distributed on the main branches. No anastomoses Arrangement of polyps at tips of the branch: Biserial alternate (Fig.2) Colour of sclerites: yellow-orange. Tentacle sclerites are colourless.
Distribution
Only known from Mauritius, Indian Ocean. Depth unknown.
Scientific Name Authorship
Matsumoto
SONY DSC
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