SONY DSC
Species ID
OC-SP-0003398
Pathway
Phylum
Cnidaria
Species ID
OC-SP-0003398
Provisional Species Name
Nicella sp_MZS Cni0237
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 (Musée zoologique Strasbourg, France), which was discovered during the Species Discovery Awards travels (2026). There is only one nominal species, Nicella dichotoma (Gray, 1860), from the Indian Ocean. The specimen was previously only identified as Nicella sp.. 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 Réunion Island and the sixth species from the Indian Ocean.
Description of Material
Colony: dried, Height 42 cm, width 30 cm(Fig.1) Branching patterns: Flabellate, irregularly branching. No anastomoses Arrangement of polyps at tips of the branch: all around, sometimes multiple rows of two sides of the stem/branch, not biserially (Fig.2) Colour of sclerites: yellow
Distribution
Only known from Réunion, Indian Ocean. Depth unknown.
Scientific Name Authorship
Matsumoto
SONY DSC
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