Discogorgia campanulifera (Nutting, 1910)

Placogorgia campanulifera Nutting, 1910: 77–78, pl. 11, figs. 3, 3a; pl. 21, fig. 13 (Bay of Bima)

Discogorgia campanulifera Kükenthal 1919: 842

Discogorgia campanulifera Kükenthal 1924: 213 .

Opinion: There is no evidence that this species occurs in the region.

Justification:

These Indian records seem to be either invalid or unconfirmable: Thomas et al. 1995: 136–138, fig. 2c, 1–3 (NE coast).

Literature analysis: This species, first collected in Indonesia, was originally named Placogorgia campanulifera by Nutting, but it was later made the type species of the genus Discogorgia by Kükenthal (1919). Although the species is unrecognisable from Nutting’s poorly illustrated description, Bayer (1981: 945) proposed to synonymise the genus Discogorgia with Thesea, which is how it appears in the WoRMS database. Thesea, however, does not occur in the Indo-West-Pacific, and the report by Grasshoff (2000: 63), who examined the holotype of Placogorgia campanulifera, confirmed Discogorgia as a valid genus.

Although the exact details of the characteristics of the taxon are unknown, Thomas et al. (1995) assigned a specimen to the species. However, as their material was described as being dichotomously branched, unlike the holotype, which was an irregular, lateral to pinnately branched fan, the identification would appear to be wrong.