taxonID	type	description	language	source
967E5C11AC2D9003FF5AFE55169FFCF9.taxon	materials_examined	Type species: Xenia umbellata Lamarck, 1816 Diagnosis. Colonies are small and soft with cylindrical stalk, undivided or branched, terminating in one or more domed polyp-bearing regions. Polyps are not retractile and are always monomorphic. Sclerites are ellipsoid platelets, usually abundant in all parts of the colony. They are mostly up to 0.025 mm in maximal diameter, and are composed of calcite rods, often dendritic or sinuous, mostly radially arranged, at least at the periphery of the sclerites. Tips of rods can be observed on the surface of the platelet, commonly providing it with a granular appearance; in a few cases, distal parts of rods are arranged parallel to the sclerite surface. The rods are mostly uniform in width (0.1 – 0.2 µm), but in some species their distal ends are wider. The sclerites often tend to fracture during dehydration for SEM purposes, thus also enabling examination of their inner parts and the morphology and arrangement of rods.	en	Halász, Anna, Mcfadden, Catherine S., Toonen, Robert, Benayahu, Yehuda (2019): Re-description of type material of Xenia Lamarck, 1816 (Octocorallia: Xeniidae). Zootaxa 4652 (2): 201-239, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4652.2.1
967E5C11AC2A9004FF5AFD5216F2F942.taxon	description	Fig. 1	en	Halász, Anna, Mcfadden, Catherine S., Toonen, Robert, Benayahu, Yehuda (2019): Re-description of type material of Xenia Lamarck, 1816 (Octocorallia: Xeniidae). Zootaxa 4652 (2): 201-239, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4652.2.1
967E5C11AC2A9004FF5AFD5216F2F942.taxon	materials_examined	Material. Type: ZMB 6105, Puerto Galera, Mindoro, Philippines, 1931, coll. A. Roxas Description. The holotype is 20 mm high; its stalk is 10 – 12 mm long, 22 – 24 mm wide throughout its length. The base of the stalk has a shallow longitudinal furrow at about the median region on both sides. The polyp body is up to 10 mm long, and the tentacles are up to 4 – 6 mm long, featuring four rows of pinnules on each side. The pinnules are relatively short and slender, up to 0.50 mm long and 0.15 mm wide, 14 – 32 in the outermost row with no gap or up to one pinnule-wide space between adjacent pinnules. Sclerites are ellipsoid platelets, 0.014 – 0.017 X 0.015 – 0.021 mm in diameter (Fig. 1 a, n = 24), composed of calcite rods radially arranged at least at the sclerite periphery, thus providing a granular appearance to their fractured surface (Fig. 1 a, b). Under SEM the sclerites often appear in aggregates and the individual ones are cemented together in different orientations (Fig 1 c). The ethanol-preserved type is white-beige in color. Etymology. It was decided to retain the species name as it appears at the ZMB. Remarks. ZMB 6105 was found labelled as Xenia flexibilis Tixier-Durivault, 1971. A thorough literature survey indicated that it has not previously been referred to elsewhere (http: // www. marinespecies. org / aphia. php? p = taxdetails & id = 204396). The current study carefully examined the type and concluded that it is a new Xenia species. The variation in the number of pinnules in the outermost row in the type is quite remarkable, 14 – 32 pinnules, greater than has been recorded in any other Xenia species. The variation in the number of pinnules is usually smaller, e. g. 26 – 33 in X. sansibariana May, 1899, 15 – 23 in X. ternatana Schenk, 1896 or as high as 16 – 27 in X. umbellata Lamarck, 1816 (see ahead). Similar species and conclusion. Similar to X. flexibilis n. sp., both X. grasshoffi Verseveldt, 1974 and X. bauiana May, 1899 feature four rows of pinnules, and partly overlap in the number of pinnules in the outermost row, with X. flexibilis n. sp. featuring the largest range (15 – 24, 26 – 30 and 14 – 32, respectively). These species also share the same sclerite microstructures (Figs. 1, 2 and 8, respectively), although X. grasshoffi possesses crests on the sclerite surface (Fig. 8 b), absent in the other two species. It is suggested that the presence of a crest on the sclerite surface might be diagnostic and important for xeniid species identification. Moreover, the range of variation in number of pinnules in the outermost row in X. flexibilis n. sp. is larger than in the other two species, and therefore it is concluded that the three species should be considered as separate. Distribution. Philippines.	en	Halász, Anna, Mcfadden, Catherine S., Toonen, Robert, Benayahu, Yehuda (2019): Re-description of type material of Xenia Lamarck, 1816 (Octocorallia: Xeniidae). Zootaxa 4652 (2): 201-239, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4652.2.1
967E5C11AC2B9006FF5AFA1C16CEFE47.taxon	description	Fig. 2	en	Halász, Anna, Mcfadden, Catherine S., Toonen, Robert, Benayahu, Yehuda (2019): Re-description of type material of Xenia Lamarck, 1816 (Octocorallia: Xeniidae). Zootaxa 4652 (2): 201-239, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4652.2.1
967E5C11AC2B9006FF5AFA1C16CEFE47.taxon	materials_examined	Material. Syntype: ZMB 3673, Zanzibar, 1885, coll. Sander. Description. The syntype is 25 mm high; its stalk is 14 – 20 mm long and 12 mm wide at its base and 28 mm wide at the uppermost part. The polyp body is up to 9 mm long, and the tentacles are up to 4 mm long, featuring four rows of pinnules on each side. The pinnules are relatively short and slender, up to 0.50 mm long and 0.15 mm wide, 26 – 30 in the outermost row with no gap between adjacent pinnules. Sclerites are ellipsoid platelets, occasionally slightly irregular 0.008 – 0.014 X 0.015 – 0.020 mm in diameter (Fig. 2 a, n = 25). They are composed of calcite rods (Fig. 2 b) thus providing a granular appearance to the sclerite surface, which is mostly fractured (Fig. 1 a). The ethanol-preserved holotype is brown-gray in color. Remarks. In the original description of X. bauiana, May (1899) indicated three rows of pinnules, but not their number on the margins of the tentacles. Later, Kükenthal (1902) noted that this species features six rows, probably referring to the total number – namely, three on each side of the tentacle. Both of these descriptions lack details regarding the number of pinnules and sclerite dimensions. The current findings further indicate that the number of rows of pinnules recorded in previous studies is erroneous (May 1899: 3 rows; Kükenthal 1902: 6 rows; and this study: 4 rows). Similar species and conclusion. Both X. bauiana and X. sansibariana feature four rows of pinnules with 26 – 30 and 25 – 27 pinnules in the outermost row, respectively, and share the same type locality. Notably, X. sansibariana lacks sclerites and thus these two species should be considered as separate. Distribution. Zanzibar.	en	Halász, Anna, Mcfadden, Catherine S., Toonen, Robert, Benayahu, Yehuda (2019): Re-description of type material of Xenia Lamarck, 1816 (Octocorallia: Xeniidae). Zootaxa 4652 (2): 201-239, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4652.2.1
967E5C11AC289008FF5AFAC914B6FE62.taxon	description	Figs. 3, 4	en	Halász, Anna, Mcfadden, Catherine S., Toonen, Robert, Benayahu, Yehuda (2019): Re-description of type material of Xenia Lamarck, 1816 (Octocorallia: Xeniidae). Zootaxa 4652 (2): 201-239, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4652.2.1
967E5C11AC289008FF5AFAC914B6FE62.taxon	materials_examined	Material. Holotype: SMF 44, Indonesia, Ternate Island, 1894, coll. W. Kükenthal; X. plicata Holotype: SMF 45, Indonesia, Ternate Island, January 1894, coll. W. Kükenthal.	en	Halász, Anna, Mcfadden, Catherine S., Toonen, Robert, Benayahu, Yehuda (2019): Re-description of type material of Xenia Lamarck, 1816 (Octocorallia: Xeniidae). Zootaxa 4652 (2): 201-239, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4652.2.1
967E5C11AC289008FF5AFAC914B6FE62.taxon	materials_examined	Description. The holotype of X. blumi is 30 mm high; its stalk is 22 mm long and 20 mm wide at its base, 25 mm wide at the uppermost part. The polyp body is up to 5.5 mm long, and the tentacles up to 3 mm long. Tentacles bear three rows of pinnules, 18 – 20 in the outer row. The pinnules are up to 0.40 mm long and 0.15 – 0.20 mm wide, with no gap between adjacent pinnules. Sclerites are mostly ellipsoid platelets, 0.008 – 0.012 X 0.014 – 0.018 mm in diameter (Fig. 3 a, n = 23). Under SEM they are mostly fractured thus enabling observation of the internal radially arranged calcite rods, occasionally branching towards the surface of the sclerite (Fig. 3 b, c). Side view of the sclerites reveals their ellipsoidal platelet morphology (Fig. 3 d). The ethanol-preserved holotype is gray in color. Unfortunately, the holotype is badly preserved and, therefore, the number of pinnule rows and the number of pinnules on the outermost row could not be clearly determined. The holotype of X. plicata is 35 mm high; its stalk is 30 mm long, 12 mm wide at its base, and 15 mm wide at its uppermost part. The polyp body is up to 6 mm long, the tentacles up to 2 – 4 mm long, featuring three rows of pinnules on each side. The pinnules are relatively slender, 16 – 22 in the outermost row with no gap between adjacent pinnules. Sclerites are present in all parts of the colony; they are ellipsoid platelets, measuring 0.007 – 0.012 X 0.014 – 0.017 mm in diameter, some of which are fractured (Fig. 4 a, n = 22). They are composed of radially arranged calcite rods, uniform in width throughout their length and occasionally branched at their distal end (Fig. 4 b, c). The surface of the sclerites is granular and often fractured. The ethanol-preserved holotype is gray in color. Remarks. The original description of X. blumi indicated three rows of pinnules, 18 – 20 pinnules in the outermost row, and sclerites of 0.015 – 0.020 mm in diameter. Later, May (1900) described colonies of this species without examining the type. May's material was examined by Reinicke (1997), who compared it to the type and concluded that it did not belong to that species. The four specimens identified as X. blumi in Benayahu’s study (1990) were re-examined during the present study and also found not to belong to that species, as suggested by Reinicke (1997). Gohar (1940: 98 – 99) described a colony of X. blumi from the Red Sea, indicating two to three rows of pinnules and 10 – 16 pinnules in pulsatile polyps. These morphological characters do not correspond to the original description of that species (three rows of pinnules, 18 – 20 in the outermost row). Utinomi (1977) described X. blumi and X. plicata from Japan, and similarly neither of them correspond to the current description of the type. Similar species and conclusion. X. blumi and X. plicata feature three rows of pinnules, with 16 – 22 and 18 – 20 pinnules in the outermost row, respectively. The present study confirms that these species share similar sclerite microstructure and therefore should be synonymized, giving a chronological priority to X. blumi, as suggested by Reinicke (1997: 18 – 22). The types of X. viridis Schenk, 1896 and X. blumi feature overlapping numbers of rows of pinnules and numbers of pinnules, but differ in sclerite microstructure. The sclerites of X. viridis occasionally reveal surface crests, which are lacking in X. blumi, thus the two species should be considered as separate. Distribution. Indonesia: Ternate Island, Philippines, Madagascar.	en	Halász, Anna, Mcfadden, Catherine S., Toonen, Robert, Benayahu, Yehuda (2019): Re-description of type material of Xenia Lamarck, 1816 (Octocorallia: Xeniidae). Zootaxa 4652 (2): 201-239, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4652.2.1
967E5C11AC26900AFF5AF9D516AFFED7.taxon	description	Fig. 5	en	Halász, Anna, Mcfadden, Catherine S., Toonen, Robert, Benayahu, Yehuda (2019): Re-description of type material of Xenia Lamarck, 1816 (Octocorallia: Xeniidae). Zootaxa 4652 (2): 201-239, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4652.2.1
967E5C11AC26900AFF5AF9D516AFFED7.taxon	materials_examined	Material. Holotype: SMF 39, Indonesia, Ternate Island, 1894, coll. W. Kükenthal. Description. The holotype is 18 mm high; its stalk is 13 mm long, 11 mm wide at its base, and 14 mm wide at its uppermost part. The polyp body is 1.5 – 3 mm long, and the tentacles are up to 3 – 4 mm long, featuring three and sometimes four rows of pinnules on each side. The pinnules are up to 0.60 mm long and 0.20 mm wide, 13 – 18 in the outermost row with no gap between adjacent pinnules to a space of up to half a pinnule-width between adjacent pinnules. Sclerites are present in all parts of the colony. They are ellipsoid platelets, and occasionally a crest is present on their surface (Fig. 5 a, b). They occasionally feature a furrow on their apical narrow side. The sclerites measure 0.007 – 0.014 X 0.012 – 0.022 mm in diameter (n = 26) and are composed of calcite rods which appear uniform in width (Fig. 5 c). The sclerite surface is granular, including the crest, and often fractured. The ethanol-preserved holotype is gray and the tentacles are dark-gray in color. Remarks. Schenk (1896) described Xenia crassa with three irregular rows of pinnules, 15 – 18 in the outermost one, thus corresponding to the current findings. The dimensions of the sclerites in that study differ from those in the current ones (0.02 – 0.030 mm vs. 0.007 – 0.014 X 0.012 – 0.022, respectively). Utinomi (1977: 3) described this species from Japan as featuring three rows of pinnules, 16 – 19 in the outermost row, and abundant “ typical spicules ”. That study reported the known distribution of Xenia crassa to include New Caledonia (Ashworth, 1900), Great Barrier Reef, Australia (Hickson 1931), Malay Archipelago (Schenk 1896; Thomson & Dean 1931), Philippines (Roxas 1933) and Madagascar (Tixier-Durivault 1966). Later, Reinicke (1997: 20) examined the type of X. crassa, compared it to Red Sea material identified by Benayahu (1990: 118), and concluded that the material identified as X. crassa by Benayahu belongs to X. novaebritanniae Ashworth, 1900. Similar species and conclusion. Xenia membranacea Schenk, 1896 and X. crassa feature mostly three rows of pinnules and occasionally four. They differ in the number of pinnules in the outermost row (20 – 25 vs. 13 – 18, respectively) and in sclerite microstructure, and therefore they should be considered as separate species. Distribution. Indonesia: Ternate Island, New Caledonia, Great Barrier Reef (Australia), Malay Archipelago, Philippines, Madagascar.	en	Halász, Anna, Mcfadden, Catherine S., Toonen, Robert, Benayahu, Yehuda (2019): Re-description of type material of Xenia Lamarck, 1816 (Octocorallia: Xeniidae). Zootaxa 4652 (2): 201-239, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4652.2.1
967E5C11AC24900AFF5AFE6C16F2FAE5.taxon	materials_examined	Material. Holotype and 4 paratypes. ZMB 6908, Philippines, Puerto Galera Bay, Mindoro, 1912 – 1914, coll. members of the Zoology Department, University of the Philippines.	en	Halász, Anna, Mcfadden, Catherine S., Toonen, Robert, Benayahu, Yehuda (2019): Re-description of type material of Xenia Lamarck, 1816 (Octocorallia: Xeniidae). Zootaxa 4652 (2): 201-239, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4652.2.1
967E5C11AC24900AFF5AFE6C16F2FAE5.taxon	materials_examined	Description. The holotype is 21 mm high, its stalk is 8 – 9 mm wide, split into two branches, 4 – 5 mm long, and 4 mm wide. The polyp body is 4 mm long, tentacles up to 6 mm long, featuring three irregular rows of pinnules on each side and occasionally a fourth row. The pinnules are relatively short, up to 0.32 mm long and 0.10 mm wide, 18 – 23 in the outermost row with a space of 1 – 1.5 pinnule-widths between adjacent pinnules. There are no sclerites in any part of the colony. The ethanol-preserved holotype is light yellowish-beige. The four paratypes resemble the holotype. The first paratype colony is 15 mm high; its stalk is 10 mm long and 3 – 4 mm wide, and does not split. The second is 15 mm high; its stalk is 10 – 12 mm long, divided into five branches, each 6 – 8 mm long and 3 – 4 mm wide. The third colony is 20 mm high, its stalk is 7 – 8 mm wide, splits into two branches, each 4 – 5 mm long and 3 – 4 mm wide. The fourth colony is 12 – 15 mm high; its stalk is 3 – 4 mm long and splits at the base into five branches, two of which split again into three, and another one into two branches, 2 – 3 mm above the colony base. They are 8 – 10 mm long, 4 – 5 mm wide at their base, and 3 – 4 mm at their uppermost part. Similar to the holotype, there are no sclerites in any part of the paratypes. Remarks. Roxas (1933) described X. delicata as having four rows of pinnules and 18 – 20 pinnules in the outermost row, thus corresponding to the current findings. In contrast to the current findings, the original description indicated: “ spicules present especially on external surface of tentacles and pinnules ”; it also referred to only one colony although five were found under ZMB 6908. If the sclerites had dissolved due to the acidified preservative, X. delicata would in that case resemble X. membranacea. Similar species and conclusion. X. sansibariana, X. mucosa Verseveldt & Tursch, 1979 and X. delicata lack sclerites in all parts of the colony, but differ in pinnule arrangement (X. sansibariana: 4 rows and 26 – 33, X. mucosa: 4 rows and 30 – 42, X. delicata: 3 and occasionally 4 rows and 18 – 23 pinnules) and thus should be considered as separate species. Distribution. Philippines.	en	Halász, Anna, Mcfadden, Catherine S., Toonen, Robert, Benayahu, Yehuda (2019): Re-description of type material of Xenia Lamarck, 1816 (Octocorallia: Xeniidae). Zootaxa 4652 (2): 201-239, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4652.2.1
967E5C11AC24900BFF5AFA3D1596F87D.taxon	description	Fig. 6	en	Halász, Anna, Mcfadden, Catherine S., Toonen, Robert, Benayahu, Yehuda (2019): Re-description of type material of Xenia Lamarck, 1816 (Octocorallia: Xeniidae). Zootaxa 4652 (2): 201-239, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4652.2.1
967E5C11AC24900BFF5AFA3D1596F87D.taxon	materials_examined	Material. Syntype: SMF 40, Indonesia, Ternate Island, 1894, coll. W. Kükenthal. Description. The syntype is 38 mm high; its stalk is 32 mm long and 18 mm wide at its base, 25 mm wide at its uppermost part. The polyp body is up to 3 mm long, and the tentacles are up to 2.5 – 3 mm long, featuring mostly four rows of pinnules along each of the tentacle margins. Occasionally 3 and even 5 rows are present. The pinnules are relatively short and stout, up to 0.25 mm long and 0.10 mm wide, 14 – 22 in the outermost row, spacing ranging from no gap to up to a half pinnule-wide space between adjacent pinnules. Sclerites are abundant in all parts of the colony; they are ellipsoid platelets, 0.006 – 0.014 X 0.013 – 0.019 mm in diameter (Fig. 6 a, n = 20). The sclerites are composed of dendritic rods assembled within the sclerite interior (Fig. 6 b), providing a granular appearance to the sclerite surface. Few fractured sclerites were observed, and they remained intact after preparation (Fig. 6 c). The ethanol-preserved holotype is dark gray in color. Remarks. In the original description of X. fusca, Schenk (1896) indicated that the species has 6 – 7 irregular rows of pinnules and 13 – 14 pinnules in each row, as opposed to the current findings that revealed mostly four rows and 14 – 22 pinnules in the outermost row. The dimensions of the sclerites obtained in the current study correspond to the original description. The sclerites of the type of Xenia fusca differ from those commonly occurring among other Xenia species (e. g., X. bauiana: Fig. 2, X. blumi: Fig. 3, X. garciae Bourne, 1894: Fig. 7), feature a densely packed granular surface, and do not exhibit the typical radial cracks under SEM (e. g. X. blumi: Fig. 3, X. plicata: Fig. 4). Similar species and conclusion. X. fusca and Xenia rubens Schenk, 1896 feature mostly four rows of pinnules and a similar number of pinnules in the outermost row. They also share the same type of sclerite surface but the internal structure of their sclerites differs: the latter with wide rods and a void in the interior and the former with randomly arranged calcite rods (Figs. 13 and 6, respectively). Therefore, it is concluded that the two species should be considered as separate until further data on freshly collected colonies and their sclerite microstructure become available. Distribution. Indonesia: Ternate Island.	en	Halász, Anna, Mcfadden, Catherine S., Toonen, Robert, Benayahu, Yehuda (2019): Re-description of type material of Xenia Lamarck, 1816 (Octocorallia: Xeniidae). Zootaxa 4652 (2): 201-239, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4652.2.1
967E5C11AC22900DFF5AFF6F15E4FCAF.taxon	description	Fig. 7	en	Halász, Anna, Mcfadden, Catherine S., Toonen, Robert, Benayahu, Yehuda (2019): Re-description of type material of Xenia Lamarck, 1816 (Octocorallia: Xeniidae). Zootaxa 4652 (2): 201-239, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4652.2.1
967E5C11AC22900DFF5AFF6F15E4FCAF.taxon	materials_examined	Material. Type: BML 1921.11. 18.1, Indian Ocean, Chagos-Archipelago, Diego Garcia, 1886, coll. G. C. Bourne. Description. The colony is very small, its stalk is up to 5 mm high and undivided, with polyps tightly packed on the capitulum. Three rows of pinnules are aligned along each of the tentacle margins, 16 – 22 in the outermost row, separated by less than a pinnule-wide space. Sclerites are ellipsoid platelets 0.009 – 0.016 X 0.016 – 0.021 mm in diameter (Fig. 7 a – d, n = 20). A surface crest can occasionally be observed (Fig. 7 a). The sclerites are composed of calcite rods arranged radially and assembled randomly within the sclerite interior (Fig. 7 c). The rods are uniform in width throughout their length and provide a granular appearance to the sclerite's surface. Under SEM the sclerites are mostly fractured. Remarks. The condition of the type of Xenia garciae is poor, probably due to inappropriate preservation; measurements of the colony and polyps could therefore not be made. According to Kükenthal (1902: 652 – 653), X. garciae features three rows of pinnules, 9 – 10 pinnules in the outermost row. Later, Gohar (1940) noted that X. garciae collected from the Red Sea, which was the first species to be reported from Hurgada, featured three rows of pinnules, 6 – 10 pinnules in the outermost row, and “ spherical ” sclerites, 0.018 – 0.025 mm in diameter. That study also noted that the colonies are non-pulsating and that the species is known from Diego Garcia (Bourne 1894: 475), Maldives (Hickson 1903: 479), Malay Archipelago (Thomson and Dean 1931), and at several Red Sea sites (Ghardaqa, Shadwan Island and Qoseir). The above two descriptions do not correspond to the current findings due to the much smaller number of pinnules described. Reinicke (1997) raised doubts concerning the species' presence in the Red Sea since Gohar's material could not be examined by him. Furthermore, colonies referred to by Reinicke (1995) as X. garciae were found in this study to belong to the genus Ovabunda: O vabunda gohari (Reinicke, 1997) and O. arabica (Reinicke, 1995). Similar species and conclusion. Both Xenia blumi and X. garciae feature three rows of pinnules, 18 – 20 pinnules in the outermost row and a similar sclerite microstructure. The current findings indicate that X. garciae occasionally features a small surface crest. Therefore, the two species should be considered as separate until further data on freshly collected colonies are available and the extent of these surface crests can be further investigated. Distribution. Indian Ocean: Chagos-Archipelago.	en	Halász, Anna, Mcfadden, Catherine S., Toonen, Robert, Benayahu, Yehuda (2019): Re-description of type material of Xenia Lamarck, 1816 (Octocorallia: Xeniidae). Zootaxa 4652 (2): 201-239, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4652.2.1
967E5C11AC23900DFF5AFC7416D4F94D.taxon	description	Fig. 8 Xenia grasshoffi; Verseveldt, 1974 a: 34 – 35, Fig. 34	en	Halász, Anna, Mcfadden, Catherine S., Toonen, Robert, Benayahu, Yehuda (2019): Re-description of type material of Xenia Lamarck, 1816 (Octocorallia: Xeniidae). Zootaxa 4652 (2): 201-239, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4652.2.1
967E5C11AC23900DFF5AFC7416D4F94D.taxon	materials_examined	Material. Holotype: SMF 2616, northern Red Sea, Gulf of Aqaba, Eilat, 1968, coll. M. Grasshoff. Description. The holotype is 28 mm high; its stalk is 23 mm long, 10 mm wide at its base and 25 mm wide at the uppermost part. The polyp body is up to 3 mm long, and the tentacles are up to 2 mm long, featuring four rows of pinnules on each side. The pinnules are relatively short and stout, up to 0.24 mm long and 0.20 mm wide, 15 – 24 in the outermost row with no gap between adjacent pinnules. Sclerites are ellipsoid platelets, measuring 0.009 – 0.017 X 0.015 – 0.023 mm in diameter (Fig. 8 a – d, n = 27). Occasionally, a crest is present on the surface of the sclerite (Fig. 8 b, d). Rarely, a median waist can be seen (Fig. 8 a). They are composed of calcite rods arranged radially, and at the center of the sclerite they are randomly arranged (Fig. 8 b, c). Many of the sclerites are fractured (Fig. 8 a, b, d). The ethanol-preserved holotype is light cream in color and polyps are almost white. Remarks. The current findings correspond to the original description of X. grasshoffi (Verseveldt 1974 a: four rows and 15 – 24 pinnules vs. four and occasionally five rows and 16 – 20 pinnules, respectively). The sclerites were originally described as: " spicules of general xeniid type: round or oval corpuscle " and the current measurements reveal that their size corresponds to the original description (0.009 – 0.017 X 0.015 – 0.023 vs. 0.024 in the stalk and 0.021 in the tentacles, respectively). Similar species. Xenia flexibilis n. sp. and X. grasshoffi feature four rows of pinnules and a certain overlap in the number of pinnules in the outermost row (14 – 32 vs. 15 – 24). However, the sclerites of X. grasshoffi feature surface crests which are absent in X. flexibilis and thus they should be considered as separate species. Distribution. Red Sea.	en	Halász, Anna, Mcfadden, Catherine S., Toonen, Robert, Benayahu, Yehuda (2019): Re-description of type material of Xenia Lamarck, 1816 (Octocorallia: Xeniidae). Zootaxa 4652 (2): 201-239, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4652.2.1
967E5C11AC20900FFF5AF94816F2FD5A.taxon	materials_examined	Material. Holotype and two small fragments: ZMB 6917, Philippines, Mindoro, Puerto Galera, Sabang, 1912 – 1914, coll. members of the Zoology Department, University of the Philippines. Description. The holotype is 45 – 50 mm high; its stalk is 13 – 15 mm long and splits at the base into five branches, four of which split again into two, 13 – 15 mm above the colony base; the latter branches are 10 – 14 mm long, 7 – 8 mm wide at their base, 4 – 5 mm at their uppermost part. The colony stalk is 45 mm wide at its widest part. The holotype is extremely flabby. The polyp body is up to 4 mm long, and the tentacles up to 4 mm long, featuring one row of pinnules on each side, with 8 – 10 pinnules. The pinnules are extremely short, up to 0.10 mm long and 0.30 mm wide, with no gap between adjacent ones. No sclerites are found in any part of the colony. The ethanolpreserved colony is light beige. The two fragments have similar features to those of the holotype. Remarks. The original description of X. kuekenthali by Roxas (1933) indicated two rows of pinnules with 8 pinnules in a row, thus not corresponding to the current findings of one row of pinnules. Utinomi (1950) referred to a specimen from Japan as having two rows with 10 – 12 pinnules in the outermost row. Later, Benayahu (1990) reported this species from the Red Sea based on the original description. Reinicke (1997) described a pulsating colony of the species from the Gulf of Aqaba, and indicated that the validation of its presence in the Red Sea should be based on the examination of additional material. The current examination of the type of Xenia kuekenthali revealed that the original description was inaccurate, and thus most probably led to the recurring errors in the subsequent studies. Similar species and conclusion. X. kuekenthali is the only Xenia species among those examined in this study with one row of pinnules. Distribution. Philippines.	en	Halász, Anna, Mcfadden, Catherine S., Toonen, Robert, Benayahu, Yehuda (2019): Re-description of type material of Xenia Lamarck, 1816 (Octocorallia: Xeniidae). Zootaxa 4652 (2): 201-239, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4652.2.1
967E5C11AC21900FFF5AFCE714DDF81F.taxon	materials_examined	Material. Holotype: RMNH Coel no. 6703, Indian Ocean, Madagascar, Nosy Bé, Pointe lokombe, 10 m, 18 July 1967, coll. A. G. Humes; Paratype: RMNH Coel. no. 6704, same collection data. Description. The holotype is 40 mm high; its stalk splits three times, 15 mm above the colony attachment to the substratum. The first branch is 14 mm long, the second is 24 mm long and splits at its distal part, the third is 22 mm long and splits four times. They are all 5 mm wide at their base and at their uppermost part. The polyp body is up to 16 mm long, and the tentacles up to 12 mm long, featuring three rows of pinnules on each side, with approximately 28 – 34 pinnules in the outermost row. Most of the polyps are extended, and the arrangement of the pinnules is irregular, with the total number of pinnules reaching 40 and more. The pinnules are relatively slender, up to 0.24 mm long and 0.16 mm wide, with spacing of half a pinnule-width up to 2 pinnule-widths between adjacent pinnules. Sclerites are not present in any part of the colony. The ethanol-preserved holotype is light beige. The paratype is 47 mm high; its stalk is 34 mm long, 5 mm wide at its base, and 5 mm wide at its uppermost part. The polyp body is up to 6 mm long, and the tentacles up to 7 mm long, featuring three rows of pinnules on each side. The pinnules are relatively slender, up to 0.50 mm long and 0.16 mm wide, 24 – 32 in the outermost row with spacing of no gap up to half a pinnule-width between adjacent pinnules. As in the holotype, no sclerites were found in the paratype. The ethanol-preserved paratype is light beige. Remarks. The current findings correspond to the original description of X. lepida, except for the latter referring to sclerites 0.009 mm in diameter in the stalk and 0.015 mm long in the polyps, visible only under a polarizing microscope. The two measurements most probably refer to symbiotic algae (zooxanthellae), which confused the author, rather than to the sclerites. In the current study no sclerites were found in any part of the colony. Similar species and conclusion. Both X. sansibariana and X. lepida feature a similar number of pinnules in the outermost row and lack sclerites in all parts of the colony. They differ in the number of pinnule rows (4 vs. 3, respectively) and thus should be considered as separate. The original description of X. lepida by Verseveldt (1971) mentioned its similarity to X. distorta Tixier-Durivault, 1966. For the purpose of the current study, inquiries made to the Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris (MNHN) indicated that the type most probably got lost and therefore regrettably could not be compared to X. lepida. Distribution. Indian Ocean: Madagascar, Indonesia: Lembeh Strait.	en	Halász, Anna, Mcfadden, Catherine S., Toonen, Robert, Benayahu, Yehuda (2019): Re-description of type material of Xenia Lamarck, 1816 (Octocorallia: Xeniidae). Zootaxa 4652 (2): 201-239, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4652.2.1
967E5C11AC3E9011FF5AFF6F1230FB53.taxon	description	Fig. 9	en	Halász, Anna, Mcfadden, Catherine S., Toonen, Robert, Benayahu, Yehuda (2019): Re-description of type material of Xenia Lamarck, 1816 (Octocorallia: Xeniidae). Zootaxa 4652 (2): 201-239, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4652.2.1
967E5C11AC3E9011FF5AFF6F1230FB53.taxon	materials_examined	Material. Syntype: SMF 41, Indonesia, Ternate Island, Moluccas, 1894, coll. W. Kükenthal. Description. The syntype is 25 mm high; its stalk is 9 mm long and it splits 2 – 3 mm above its base into eight short branches, two of which split again into two; the length of each branch is 8 – 10 mm and their width is about 5 mm at the base and 5 – 6 mm at the uppermost part. The polyp body is up to 3 mm long, and the tentacles up to 4 mm long, featuring three and occasionally a partial fourth row of pinnules on each side. The pinnules are relatively slender, up to 0.75 mm long and 0.25 mm wide, 20 – 25 in the outermost row with no gap between adjacent pinnules. Sclerites are present in all parts of the colony; most of them are ellipsoid platelets, 0.010 – 0.019 X 0.015 – 0.025 mm in diameter (Fig. 9, n = 26). Their surface outline ranges from almost smooth to irregular (Fig. 9 a, b). Some of the sclerites feature a crest, or surface depressions (Fig 9 c, e). Others are almost round (Fig. 9 f) or feature a longitudinal furrow (Fig. 9 g). The sclerites are composed of calcite rods arranged radially, at least on the surface of the sclerite (Fig. 9 d), providing a granular appearance to all the various morphologies. The ethanol-preserved holotype is light gray in color. Remarks. The original description of Xenia membranacea indicated 3 – 4 irregular rows of pinnules, 20 – 25 pinnules in each one. The sclerites were referred to as round discs, long ovals, or rod-like, 0.015 – 0.020 mm, 0.02 – 0.025 X 0.010 – 0.015 mm and 0.020 – 0.030 X 0.006 – 0.010 mm, respectively. Except for the latter, their measurements match our re-description of the type. Verseveldt (1960) identified material from Obi Latu (Indonesia) and from the Bay of Djakarta, Malay Archipelago. For the former he described four rows of pinnules, 20 – 24 in a row, and " numerous oval " sclerites measuring 0.018 – 0.022 X 0.013 – 0.015 mm; while for the one from the Malay Archipelago he described five rows of pinnules, referring to Thomson & Dean (1931: 31) who also described five rows for specimens from the same location. The material from Obi Latu corresponds to the X. membranacea type while the Malay material might belong to X. fusca. X. membranacea was reported from the Red Sea by Benayahu (1990) and Reinicke (1997). Similar species and conclusion. Roxas (1933) identified two specimens from the Philippines as Xenia membranacea and noted that it had been synonymized by Hickson (1931 a: 152) with X. crassa. X enia membranacea and X. crassa feature three and sometimes four rows of pinnules, but differ in the number of pinnules. Their sclerite microstructure also differs (Figs. 9 and 5, respectively), and thus they should be considered as separate. Although features of X. membranacea also resemble those of X. grasshoffi, the former possesses sclerites with sinuous rods lacking in the latter, thus the two should be considered as separate species. Distribution. Indonesia: Ternate Island, Moluccas, Philippines, Japan, Malay Archipelago, Red Sea.	en	Halász, Anna, Mcfadden, Catherine S., Toonen, Robert, Benayahu, Yehuda (2019): Re-description of type material of Xenia Lamarck, 1816 (Octocorallia: Xeniidae). Zootaxa 4652 (2): 201-239, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4652.2.1
967E5C11AC3F9011FF5AFAEF147EF819.taxon	materials_examined	Material. Holotype: RMNH 12867, Bismarck Sea, Boëso I., South reef flat, 5 m, 1975 – 1977, King Leopold III Biological Station at Laing Island, coll. A. Tursch. Description. The holotype is 50 mm high; its stalk splits 15 mm above its base into two branches, one of which splits again into two, 20 mm above the first; the latter branches are 14 and 13 mm long, 6 mm wide at their base, 15 and 10 mm wide at their uppermost part, respectively. The third branch does not split; it is 20 mm long, 5 mm wide at its base and 6 mm wide at the uppermost part. The polyp body is up to 8 mm long, the tentacles up to 13 mm long, featuring four rows of pinnules on each side. The pinnules are slender, up to 0.5 mm long and 0.2 mm wide, 30 – 42 in the outermost row with a space of 0.5 – 1.5 pinnule-widths between adjacent pinnules. No sclerites could be found in any part of the colony. The ethanol-preserved holotype is light beige in color. Remarks. The re-description of X. mucosa corresponds to the original description. Similar species and conclusion. Both X. mucosa and X. sansibariana feature four rows of pinnules and lack sclerites in all parts of the colony. The number of pinnules in their outermost row differs (X. mucosa: 30 – 42 and X. sansibariana: 26 – 33) and thus they should be considered as separate species. Distribution. South-Western Pacific Ocean: Bismarck Sea.	en	Halász, Anna, Mcfadden, Catherine S., Toonen, Robert, Benayahu, Yehuda (2019): Re-description of type material of Xenia Lamarck, 1816 (Octocorallia: Xeniidae). Zootaxa 4652 (2): 201-239, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4652.2.1
967E5C11AC3C9013FF5AFF6F15ECFE1F.taxon	description	Fig. 10	en	Halász, Anna, Mcfadden, Catherine S., Toonen, Robert, Benayahu, Yehuda (2019): Re-description of type material of Xenia Lamarck, 1816 (Octocorallia: Xeniidae). Zootaxa 4652 (2): 201-239, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4652.2.1
967E5C11AC3C9013FF5AFF6F15ECFE1F.taxon	materials_examined	Material. Syntype: ZMB 6920, South Pacific Ocean, Tonga Island, Viti, collected by Dr. H. Merton. Description. The holotype is 28 mm high; its stalk is 16 – 20 mm long, 10 mm wide at its base and 15 mm wide at the uppermost part. The polyp body is up to 10 mm long, and the tentacles up to 9 mm long, featuring two irregular rows of pinnules on each side. The pinnules are short and stout, up to 0.8 mm long and 0.2 mm wide, 21 – 29 in the outermost row with a gap of one pinnule-width space between adjacent ones. Sclerites are ellipsoid platelets, measuring 0.011 – 0.018 X 0.019 – 0.025 mm in diameter (Fig. 10 a, n = 20). They are comprised of calcite rods, which are uniform in width and assembled randomly within the sclerite center (Fig. 10 b, c). The sclerite surface is granular and occasionally fractured. The ethanol-preserved holotype is beige in color. Remarks. The re-description of X. multispiculata corresponds to the original description. Similar species and conclusion. X. multispiculata is the only Xenia species among those examined in this study to display two rows of pinnules. It shares sclerite microstructure with X. novaebritanniae Ashworth, 1900, X. bauiana and X. blumi but differs in pinnule arrangement and thus should be considered as a separate species. Distribution. South Pacific Ocean: Tonga Island.	en	Halász, Anna, Mcfadden, Catherine S., Toonen, Robert, Benayahu, Yehuda (2019): Re-description of type material of Xenia Lamarck, 1816 (Octocorallia: Xeniidae). Zootaxa 4652 (2): 201-239, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4652.2.1
967E5C11AC3D9015FF5AFE2413F2FEF3.taxon	description	Figs. 11, 12	en	Halász, Anna, Mcfadden, Catherine S., Toonen, Robert, Benayahu, Yehuda (2019): Re-description of type material of Xenia Lamarck, 1816 (Octocorallia: Xeniidae). Zootaxa 4652 (2): 201-239, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4652.2.1
967E5C11AC3D9015FF5AFE2413F2FEF3.taxon	materials_examined	Material. Syntype: X. novaebritanniae BML 1962.7. 20.148, South Pacific Ocean, Lifu, Loyalty Island, November 1896, Syntype: BML 1962.7. 20.149, Papua New Guinea, New Britain, Talili Bay, 1895. Description. The syntype BML 1962.7.20.148 is 30 mm high; its stalk is 10 mm long and about 10 mm wide at its base and 20 mm wide at the uppermost part. The colony was cut into two more or less identical parts. There is a small fragment under the same collection number. The polyp body is up to 3 mm long, and the tentacles are up to 2 mm long, featuring two rows of pinnules on each side. The pinnules are short and stout, up to 0.2 mm long and 0.2 mm wide, 9 – 10 in the outermost row with no gap to occasionally a gap of one pinnule-width between adjacent pinnules. Sclerites are ellipsoid platelets, 0.013 – 0.020 X 0.017 – 0.024 mm in diameter (Fig 11, n = 20). They are composed of calcite rods, uniform in width throughout their length. A fractured sclerite revealed that the rods are arranged radially at the periphery, occasionally branched at their distal end, but oriented randomly at the sclerite center (Fig. 11 c). The sclerite surface is granular and often fractured. The dimensions of BML 1962.7.20.149 correspond to those of the other syntype (BML 1962.7.20.148). The polyp body is up to 2 mm long, and the tentacles are up to 3 mm long, featuring three and sometimes four rows of pinnules on each side. The pinnules are short and stout, up to 0.2 mm long and 0.2 mm wide, 10 – 14 in the outermost row with a gap of one pinnule-width between adjacent pinnules. Its sclerites are ellipsoid platelets, 0.012 – 0.017 X 0.018 – 0.022 mm in diameter (Fig. 12 a, n = 20). They are composed of calcite rods (Fig. 12 c). The granular surface of the sclerites is fractured. Remarks. Ashworth (1900) described X. novaebritanniae as featuring three rows of pinnules with 8 – 12 in each row. Examination of BML 1962.7.20.148 revealed that it has only two rows of pinnules and thus does not belong to the species and was probably mislabeled. However, the original description closely corresponds to the current findings for BML 1962.7.20.149. Benayahu (1990) listed this species for the Red Sea, based on the original description. Reinicke (1997) examined the two syntypes and his description noted three and occasionally four rows of pinnules, 10 – 12 in the outermost row, similar to our description of BML 1962.7.20.149. Similar species and conclusion. Both X. novaebritanniae and X. crassa feature three and occasionally four rows of pinnules and a similar number of pinnules in the outermost row (10 – 14 vs. 13 – 18); however, as X. crassa sclerites possess crests on their surface, the two species should be considered as separate. Distribution. South Pacific Ocean: Loyalty Island, Papua New Guinea, New Britain, Red Sea.	en	Halász, Anna, Mcfadden, Catherine S., Toonen, Robert, Benayahu, Yehuda (2019): Re-description of type material of Xenia Lamarck, 1816 (Octocorallia: Xeniidae). Zootaxa 4652 (2): 201-239, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4652.2.1
967E5C11AC3B9015FF5AFE4F1596FAFA.taxon	description	Fig. 13	en	Halász, Anna, Mcfadden, Catherine S., Toonen, Robert, Benayahu, Yehuda (2019): Re-description of type material of Xenia Lamarck, 1816 (Octocorallia: Xeniidae). Zootaxa 4652 (2): 201-239, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4652.2.1
967E5C11AC3B9015FF5AFE4F1596FAFA.taxon	materials_examined	Material. Type: SMF 46, Indonesia, Ternate Island, 1894, coll. W. Kükenthal. Description. The type is 60 mm high; its stalk is 45 mm long and splits 30 mm above the base into two branches; one branch is 20 mm long, 12 mm wide at its base and 18 mm wide at its uppermost part. The other branch is 18 mm long, 22 mm wide at its base and 35 mm wide at the uppermost part. The polyp body is up to 4 mm long, and the tentacles are up to 3 mm long. Mostly four rows of pinnules are aligned along each of the tentacle margins, occasionally 3 and even 5 rows, with 12 – 19 pinnules in the outermost row. The pinnules are relatively short and stout, up to 0.3 mm long and 0.15 mm wide, with spacing of no gap to up to a half pinnule-width between adjacent pinnules. Sclerites are mainly ellipsoid platelets that appear in all parts of the colony, 0.009 – 0.013 X 0.011 – 0.023 mm in diameter (Fig. 13 a, c, n = 20). Some sclerites may feature a slightly rectangular outline and others are either round or elongated. Their surface appears uniformly granular with no fractures. Broken sclerites reveal the internal structure to consist of radial rods at the periphery and a centrally located void within their center (Fig. b). The ethanolpreserved type is light beige-yellow in color. Remarks. In the original description Schenk (1896) indicates that X. rubens features 5 – 6 irregular rows of pinnules and 18 – 20 pinnules in the outermost row, which closely corresponds to the current findings. Similar species and conclusions. Both X. rubens and X. fusca feature mostly four rows of pinnules and a similar number of pinnules in the outermost row (12 – 19 and 14 – 22, respectively). They share a similar type of granular sclerite surface but different internal microstructure (Figs. 13 and 6, respectively). Although the latter difference might be rather small, until further data based on freshly collected colonies become available the two species are considered as separate. Distribution. Indonesia: Ternate Island.	en	Halász, Anna, Mcfadden, Catherine S., Toonen, Robert, Benayahu, Yehuda (2019): Re-description of type material of Xenia Lamarck, 1816 (Octocorallia: Xeniidae). Zootaxa 4652 (2): 201-239, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4652.2.1
967E5C11AC3B9017FF5AFA4713FEFD8F.taxon	materials_examined	Material. Syntype: ZMB 3828, Indian Ocean, Zanzibar, 1885, coll. Sander. Holotype of X. actuosa: RMNH 12866, South-Western Pacific Ocean, Bismarck Sea, Boëso I., South reef flat, 5 m, 1975 – 1977, King Leopold III Biological Station at Laing Island, coll. A. Tursch. Description. The syntype is 38 mm high; its stalk is 16 – 20 mm long, 15 mm wide at its base and 25 – 27 mm wide at the uppermost part. The polyp body is up to 10 mm long, and the tentacles are up to 6 mm long, featuring four rows of pinnules on each side. The pinnules are relatively short and slender, up to 0.7 mm long and 0.1 mm wide, 26 – 33 in the outermost row with a space of 0.5 – 1.5 pinnule-width between adjacent pinnules. No sclerites could be found in the syntype. Zooxanthellae can be seen in the stalk and also a few small gonads. The ethanolpreserved holotype is dark grey in color. The holotype of X. actuosa is 40 mm high; its stalk splits at the base into three branches, two of which split again into two, the latter branches are 8 and 10 mm long, 15 and 20 mm wide at their base, 20 and 23 mm wide at their uppermost part, respectively. The third branch does not split; it is 30 mm long, 18 mm wide at its base and 40 mm at the uppermost part. The polyp body is up to 6 mm long, and the tentacles up to 11 mm long, featuring four rows of pinnules on each side. The pinnules are relatively short and stout, up to 0.80 mm long and 0.24 mm wide, 25 – 29 in the outermost row with a space of up to a half pinnule-width between adjacent pinnules. No sclerites could be found in any part of the colony. The original description indicated pulsating polyps for the live colonies. The ethanol-preserved holotype is yellow to dark beige in color. Similar species and conclusion. The original description of Xenia sansibariana and Kükenthal's (1902) revision referred to five rows of pinnules, in comparison to four rows recorded in the current study. Verseveldt & Tursch (1979) described X. actuosa with four rows of pinnules with 21 – 28 pinnules and no sclerites, in full correspondence to the current findings. The two species overlap in the number of pinnule rows, number of pinnules on the outermost row, and both lack sclerites. Therefore, based on their morphological features X. actuosa should be considered a junior synonym of X. sansibariana, given the priority of the earlier description. However, while considering the geographical distance between the type localities of X. sansibariana and X. actuosa (West Indian Ocean and South-Western Pacific Ocean, respectively), genetic data should be obtained to verify the synonymy. Xenia mucosa and X. sansibariana both feature four rows of pinnules, but differ in the number of pinnules in the outermost row (25 – 29 and 30 – 42 respectively), and, therefore, the two species should be considered as separate. Distribution. South-Western Pacific Ocean: Bismarck Sea, Indian Ocean: Zanzibar, Red Sea.	en	Halász, Anna, Mcfadden, Catherine S., Toonen, Robert, Benayahu, Yehuda (2019): Re-description of type material of Xenia Lamarck, 1816 (Octocorallia: Xeniidae). Zootaxa 4652 (2): 201-239, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4652.2.1
967E5C11AC399017FF5AFD941596F958.taxon	description	Fig. 14	en	Halász, Anna, Mcfadden, Catherine S., Toonen, Robert, Benayahu, Yehuda (2019): Re-description of type material of Xenia Lamarck, 1816 (Octocorallia: Xeniidae). Zootaxa 4652 (2): 201-239, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4652.2.1
967E5C11AC399017FF5AFD941596F958.taxon	materials_examined	Material. Holotype and paratype: SMF 43, Indonesia, Ternate Island, 1894, coll. W. Kükenthal. Description. The holotype is the larger colony under SMF 43, 25 mm high; its stalk is 18 mm long, 10 mm wide at its base and 15 mm at its uppermost part. The syntype is 23 mm high; its stalk is 12 mm long, 15 mm wide at its base, 22 mm wide at its uppermost part. The polyp body is up to 3.5 – 5 mm long, and the tentacles up to 3 – 3.5 mm long, featuring three rows of pinnules on each side. The pinnules are relatively slender, up to 0.5 mm long and 0.2 mm wide, 15 – 23 in the outermost row with no gap between adjacent ones. Sclerites are present in all parts of the colony, more densely arranged on the aboral side of the tentacles and less so in the pinnules. They are ellipsoid platelets, measuring 0.008 – 0.015 X 0.017 – 0.021 mm in diameter (Fig. 14, n = 20). Their surface is granular due to the dendritic rods that comprise the sclerite (Fig. 14 c). Some sclerites feature a distinct longitudinal crest (Fig. 14 c). The ethanol-preserved holotype is dark gray in color. Remarks. The original description of X. ternatana by Schenk (1896) indicated two rows of pinnules and 18 – 22 pinnules in each row compared to the three rows and 15 – 23 pinnules in the outermost row as revealed in the present study. The current examination demonstrated that some of the sclerites possess a central crest, resembling those of Yamazatum Benayahu, 2010. As already indicated, it is suggested that the presence of a crest on the sclerite surface is diagnostic and important for xeniid species identification. Colonies of X. ternatana from various locations in the Red Sea (e. g., Kükenthal 1913; Verseveldt & Cohen 1971; Benayahu 1990) should be re-examined in order to verify the microstructure of their sclerites. Reinicke (1997) examined the type of X. ternatana and other material from the Red Sea, but repeated the original description and not his findings concerning the type; therefore, his material should also be re-examined. In McFadden et al. (2014 a) a specimen collected from Indonesia bearing two rows of pinnules was identified as X. ternatana, which does not correspond to the current re-description of the type. Similar species and conclusion. X. viridis, X. blumi, X. umbellata Lamarck, 1816 and X. ternatana share a similar pinnule arrangement, but differ in their sclerite microstructure (Figs 15, 3, 16 and 14, respectively), and therefore it is concluded that they should be considered as separate species. Distribution. Indonesia: Ternate Island.	en	Halász, Anna, Mcfadden, Catherine S., Toonen, Robert, Benayahu, Yehuda (2019): Re-description of type material of Xenia Lamarck, 1816 (Octocorallia: Xeniidae). Zootaxa 4652 (2): 201-239, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4652.2.1
967E5C11AC39901AFF5AF8ED14C6FD13.taxon	description	Fig. 15	en	Halász, Anna, Mcfadden, Catherine S., Toonen, Robert, Benayahu, Yehuda (2019): Re-description of type material of Xenia Lamarck, 1816 (Octocorallia: Xeniidae). Zootaxa 4652 (2): 201-239, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4652.2.1
967E5C11AC39901AFF5AF8ED14C6FD13.taxon	materials_examined	Material. Holotype: SMF 42, Indonesia, Ternate Island, 1894, coll. W. Kükenthal; additional material: SMF 77, Indonesia, Klein-kei Nuhu, 3 – 4 m, 1908, coll. Wertau, determined by: W. Kükenthal. The holotype is 40 mm high; its stalk is 25 mm long, 17 mm wide at its base and 42 mm wide at its uppermost part. The polyp body is up to 3 mm long, and the tentacles up to 3.5 – 4 mm long, featuring three rows of pinnules on each side. The pinnules are slender, up to 0.50 mm long and 0.25 mm wide, 15 – 22 in the outermost row with spacing of no gap up to half a pinnule-width between adjacent pinnules. Sclerites are present in all parts of the colony, less dense in the stalk than in the polyps and lacking in the distal parts of the pinnules. They are ellipsoid platelets, measuring 0.008 – 0.013 X 0.013 – 0.020 mm in diameter (Fig. 15, n = 26). Some of the sclerites possess a longitudinal or diagonal-transverse crest (Fig. 15 b) and some a furrow on their narrow side (see arrow in Fig. 15 a). They are composed of calcite rods arranged radially, but assembled randomly at the sclerite center (Fig. 15 c). The sclerite surface is granular. The ethanol-preserved holotype is light beige in color, polyps are lighter. The dimensions of the additional colony examined are similar to the holotype; its polyp body is up to 8 mm long, and the tentacles are up to 6 mm long, featuring three rows of pinnules on each side, 15 – 20 in the outermost row with a space of up to half a pinnule-width between adjacent pinnules. Sclerites are present in all parts of the colony, measuring 0.010 – 0.017 X 0.022 – 0.026 mm in maximal diameter (n = 24). They are ellipsoid platelets, composed of calcite rods, arranged radially, at least on the sclerite surface. The ethanol-preserved colony is light beige in color. Remarks. In the original description of X. viridis, Schenk (1896) indicated three rows of pinnules, with 14 – 15 pinnules in a row and sclerites of 0.010 – 0.015 mm in diameter. The number of rows corresponds to the current findings, but the range in number of pinnules was found to be slightly larger, 15 – 22 in the holotype and 15 – 20 in the other material. The sclerite dimensions were found to be larger than in the original observation. In his revision of Xeniidae, Kükenthal (1902) indicated the presence of the species in New Caledonia. Verseveldt (1960) reported it in Indonesia, with three rows and 15 – 17 pinnules, and sclerites 0.017 – 0.020 X 0.015 mm in diameter, in full agreement with the type. Reinicke (1997) raised doubts concerning the presence of the species in the Red Sea, based on his examination of the material noted in Benayahu (1990), which he concluded should be assigned to X. crenata Reinicke, 1997 (= O. crenata in Halász et al. 2014). In McFadden et al. (2014) two specimens identified as X. viridis were described, bearing three rows and 14 – 18 pinnules in the outermost one, which partially overlaps with the current re-description of the type. Similar species and conclusion. Xenia blumi and X. viridis feature three rows of pinnules and an overlapping number of pinnules in the outermost row. They also feature dendritic sclerite microstructures. Unlike X. blumi, X. viridis exhibits crests on the sclerite surface whose suggested taxonomic significance was noted above, and, therefore, it is concluded that these two species should be considered as separate. Distribution. Indonesia: Ternate Island and Klein-kei Nuhu, Red Sea.	en	Halász, Anna, Mcfadden, Catherine S., Toonen, Robert, Benayahu, Yehuda (2019): Re-description of type material of Xenia Lamarck, 1816 (Octocorallia: Xeniidae). Zootaxa 4652 (2): 201-239, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4652.2.1
967E5C11AC349021FF5AFD2F1559FB87.taxon	description	Figs. 16 – 22	en	Halász, Anna, Mcfadden, Catherine S., Toonen, Robert, Benayahu, Yehuda (2019): Re-description of type material of Xenia Lamarck, 1816 (Octocorallia: Xeniidae). Zootaxa 4652 (2): 201-239, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4652.2.1
967E5C11AC349021FF5AFD2F1559FB87.taxon	materials_examined	Material. Neotype: ZMTAU CO 36788, northern Red Sea, Gulf of Aqaba, Eilat, reef across from the Interuniversity Institute for Marine Sciences in Eilat (IUI) (29 ° 30 ' 14.508 " N, 34 ° 55 ' 9.84 " E), 12 m, 19 March 2010. Additional material: ZMTAU CO 36780, northern Red Sea, Gulf of Aqaba, Eilat, IUI (29 ° 30 ' 6.54 '' N; 34 ° 55 ’ 4.44 '' E), 5 m, 5 January 2010; ZMTAU CO 36792, northern Red Sea, Gulf of Aqaba, Eilat, the Pyramid site, on artificial reef (29 ° 32 ' 44.7 " N, 34 ° 57 ' 26.3154 " E), 22 m, 30 June 2010; ZMTAU CO 37034, northern Red Sea, Gulf of Aqaba, Eilat, Underwater restaurant, on artificial reef (29 ° 32 ' 49.43 N; 34 ° 57 ' 14.51 '' E), 8 m, 22 June 2010. ZMTAU CO 36783, collection details as ZMTAU CO 36780; ZMTAU CO 36784, northern Red Sea, Gulf of Aqaba, Eilat, Dekel beach (29 ° 32 ' 26.1708 " N, 34 ° 56 ' 52.731 " E), 5 m, 26 January 2010; ZMTAU CO 36790, northern Red Sea, Gulf of Aqaba, Eilat, Tur Yam (29 ° 30 ' 56.4978 " N, 34 ° 55 ' 36.1986 " E), 5 m, 4 May 2010; ZMTAU CO 36791, northern Red Sea, Gulf of Aqaba, Eilat, Underwater restaurant (29 ° 32 ' 49.43 N; 34 ° 57 ' 14.51 '' E), 11 m, 23 June 2010. All of the above collected by A. Halász; USNM 1202005, Saudi Arabia, Jeddah, 21 ° 43 ' N, 39 ° 06 ' E, 23 April 2011; USNM 1202010, same details; USNM 1202016, same details. All USNM material above collected by R. Haverkort-Yeh; ZMTAU CO 34073, northern Red Sea, Gulf of Aqaba, Eilat, Nature reserve, (29 o 30.6 ' N, 34 o 55.35 ' E), 2.4 – 5.5 m, 24 July 2007, coll. Y. Benayahu; ZMTAU CO 34072, same collection details as above. Description. The neotype, ZMTAU CO 36788, consists of one colony growing on a dead colony of a branched stony coral. Its maximal height is 20 mm; the stalk is unbranched, up to 5 mm long and 8 mm wide. The polyp body is up to 4 mm long, and the tentacles up to 3.5 – 5 mm long. The slender pinnules are up to 2.5 mm long and 0.2 mm wide, with a pinnule-wide space between them. The pinnules are arranged in three rows with 19 – 22 in the outermost one. Sclerites are ellipsoid platelets, abundant in all parts of the colony, measuring 0.008 – 0.015 X 0.013 – 0.025 mm in diameter (Fig. 16, n = 20). They are composed of calcite rods, uniform in width (0.1 – 0.2 µm). The rods are arranged more or less randomly and their distal tips are aligned in part parallel to the surface of the sclerite (Fig. 16 b, c). Clusters of sclerites are densely packed in different spatial orientations (Fig. 16 d). The ethanol-preserved neotype is white. Pulsation was observed in live colonies. The additional material, ZMTAU CO 36780, is 22 mm high. Its stalk splits into 3 branches 5 mm above its base, the branches are 9, 15 and 7 mm long; 5, 10, and 5 mm wide at their base; and 12, 13 and 7 mm wide at their uppermost part, respectively. The polyp body, tentacles and pinnules are similar in size to those of the neotype. The pinnules are arranged in three rows, 20 – 23 in the outermost row. Sclerites are abundant in all parts of the colony and are similar to those of the neotype, measuring 0.011 – 0.015 X 0.014 – 0.023 mm in diameter (Fig. 17, n = 20). Their surface reveals a partially granular texture, but in addition the longitudinally aligned dendritic rods can be seen on the surface of the sclerites. ZMTAU CO 36792 is similar in dimensions to the neotype. Pinnules are arranged in three rows, 22 – 27 in the outermost row. Sclerites are abundant in all parts of the colony, and their morphological features — including surface texture (Fig. 18) — are similar to those of the neotype, measuring 0.011 – 0.015 X 0.017 – 0.022 mm in diameter (n = 20).	en	Halász, Anna, Mcfadden, Catherine S., Toonen, Robert, Benayahu, Yehuda (2019): Re-description of type material of Xenia Lamarck, 1816 (Octocorallia: Xeniidae). Zootaxa 4652 (2): 201-239, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4652.2.1
967E5C11AC349021FF5AFD2F1559FB87.taxon	description	ZMTAU CO 37034 consists of three small white-beige colonies. The first is a colony with multiple branches; its total height is 20 mm, and the stalk is up to 13 mm wide at its base and 25 mm wide at its uppermost part. The second colony is unbranched, similar in height to the first, 10 mm wide at its base, and 4 mm wide at its uppermost part. The third colony is 15 mm high; its stalk branches into three, and its base is 10 mm wide and 30 mm at the uppermost part at the branching point. The tentacle and pinnule dimensions are similar to ZMTAU CO 36780. The pinnules are arranged in three rows, 19 – 22 in the outermost row. Sclerites are scarce, ellipsoid platelets, round or egg-shaped and occasionally irregular, measuring 0.009 – 0.017 X 0.015 – 0.022 mm in diameter (Fig. 19, n = 20). Their surface microstructure (Fig. 19 a) is similar to that of the neotype (Fig. 19 b). Sinuous dendritic rods are radially arranged, and can be seen in a fractured sclerite (Fig. 19 c). The size of all other colonies is rather similar to that of the neotype. ZMTAU CO 36783, 36790, 36791, USNM 1202005 and 1202016 feature three rows of pinnules with 21 – 24, 17 – 20, 18 – 20, 19 – 26 and 21 – 27 pinnules in the outermost row, respectively. ZMTAU CO 36784 and USNM 1202010 bear two rows of pinnules with 16 – 20 and 20 – 24 pinnules in the outermost row, respectively. Polyp sclerites of the three colonies collected in Saudi Arabia (USNM 122005, 1202010 and 1202016) all share a similar microstructure to that of the neotype and the Eilat colonies (Figs. 20, 21 and 22 respectively). Their sclerites typically maintain their intact shape following processing for SEM and only occasionally feature small marginal fractures (Fig. 22). Pulsation was observed in all live colonies.	en	Halász, Anna, Mcfadden, Catherine S., Toonen, Robert, Benayahu, Yehuda (2019): Re-description of type material of Xenia Lamarck, 1816 (Octocorallia: Xeniidae). Zootaxa 4652 (2): 201-239, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4652.2.1
967E5C11AC349021FF5AFD2F1559FB87.taxon	materials_examined	Phylogenetic affiliation. All of the X. umbellata colonies described above shared identical DNA sequences at mtMutS, igr 1 + COI, and 28 S rDNA (Fig. 23); species delimitation analyses that included those loci plus four additional genes further supported the conclusion that all of the X. umbellata specimens examined here belong to one species (McFadden et al. 2017). Two specimens previously identified as X. hicksoni (ZMTAU Co 34072, 34073; McFadden et al. 2011) were also genetically identical to X. umbellata (Fig. 23). X. umbellata belonged to a strongly supported clade that included members of the genus Ovabunda from the Red Sea and Thailand (Fig. 23). This [Ovabunda + X. umbellata] clade was nested within a larger clade of Xenia that included specimens previously identified as X. lepida, X. ternatana and X. viridis (clade X 1 of McFadden et al. 2014 a). Additional species of Xenia, including material identified as X. sansibariana (= X. actuosa; Haverkort-Yeh et al. 2013) belonged to a second distinct clade that also included species of Heteroxenia (clade X 2 of McFadden et al. 2014 a). Finally, specimens identified previously as X. kusimotoensis and X. membranacea belonged to a clade with species of Sansibia, Sarcothelia and Yamazatum (clade X 3; McFadden et al. 2014 a). Remarks. In the original description of X. umbellata, the type species of this genus, Lamarck (1816: 410) referred to dark-blue colonies from the Red Sea, bearing slender, tightly packed pinnules, arranged in two rows. Lamarck referred to drawings of colonies collected from the Red Sea that were published by Savigny (1817). Based on these drawings it is evident that the tentacles feature two rows of pinnules with 27 – 32 / 22 – 25 and 30 – 35 / 29 – 31 pinnules in the outer / inner row (Reinicke 1997: Fig. 18). No additional data were presented regarding the sclerite shape and dimensions or the exact type locality. Inquiries to various collections, including MNHN, led to the conclusion that the type should be considered lost (see also Reinicke 1997). Since the original description of X. umbellata by Lamarck (1816), specimens collected from many Indo-Pacific reefs were referred to this species (see ahead), also attributing to it rather variable morphological features. Undoubtedly, the extensive literature has made it the most common Xenia species reported in the entire Indo-Pacific region, giving the impression that it is the commonest species of its genus. In contrast to the two rows of pinnules indicated in the original description by Lamarck (1816: 410), Ehrenberg (1834: 53 – 54) described this species from the Red Sea as having three rows. That study established the notion that three rows of pinnules should be attributed to X. umbellata. Subsequently, other studies referred to X. umbellata as featuring a different number of rows and also with a wide range of pinnule numbers in the outermost row compared to Lamarck's (1816) description. For example, Schenk (1896: 57) indicated three rows and 12 – 15 pinnules (Ternate, Indonesia); Ashworth (1900) 3 – 4 rows and 12 – 15 pinnules (Red Sea); and three rows, 22 – 29 pinnules (Papua New Guinea: New Britain). Subsequently, Kükenthal (1902: 561) indicated three rows, 12 – 29 pinnules in the outermost row (Red Sea, Indian Ocean, East Africa and Papua New Guinea: New Britain). Hickson's (1931 a) revision of the Xeniidae described material collected in the Great Barrier Reef with three rows of pinnules and about 25 pinnules in the outermost row, and sclerites “ round in outline ”, 0.020 mm in diameter. That study also noted the resemblance to X. plicata. Roxas (1933) described X. umbellata as having three rows of pinnules, 17 – 20 in a row, and sclerites 0.014 – 0.018 X 0.010 – 0.018 mm in diameter (Puerto Galera Bay, Philippines). Gohar (1940) referred to pulsating colonies of X. umbellata from Hurgada, Red Sea, featuring 2 – 3 rows of pinnules and 16 – 22 pinnules in the outermost row (14 – 18 and 10 – 12 in the inner rows), and sclerites with a maximal diameter of 0.016 – 0.022 mm. He further described the sclerites as: “ general xeniid structure, minute, roughly circular, oval or slightly oblong corpuscles ”. Later, Verseveldt (1971) reported the species from Madagascar, referring to Gohar’s description. Utinomi (1977) reported it from Okinawa, Japan, with 2 – 3 rows of pinnules, 15 – 17 in the outer row. Imahara (1996) noted the presence of the species from the same location and referred to the description by Utinomi (1977). Reinicke (1997: 19; Fig. 8 a) depicted sclerites of X. umbellata collected in the Red Sea, and presented its sclerite surface microstructure for the first time using SEM. Undoubtedly, these studies may have raised confusion concerning the real identity of the species and its taxonomic features. The Red Sea material examined in the current study, including the neotype and the additional material, encompasses 2 – 3 rows. The recorded number of pinnules in the outermost rows is mostly 19 – 22, but occasionally up to 27 or as few as 16, but not lower than that. These findings correspond to those of some of the previous taxonomic studies on this species (see above). Despite the variation attributed to the Red Sea colonies, they share a similar sclerite microstructure (Figs. 16 – 19) and identical DNA sequences at the molecular markers analyzed here (Fig. 23). It should also be noted that there is variation in the abundance of sclerites in the colonies: while they are usually abundant in all parts of the colony, they can also be scarce, but then confined mainly to the colony base. The purpose of the designation of the neotype is to clarify the species’ taxonomic status, and to provide an account of its soft tissue morphological features, its sclerite microstructure and its genetic affiliation. The designation of the neotype is conducted here not within the framework of a full taxonomic revision of the genus Xenia, but rather is based on a comprehensive examination and re-description of 21 original Xenia types, including some from the Red Sea. It should also be noted that attempts to obtain additional types of the genus failed. This approach allows us to designate a neotype despite the convention that designation of neotypes is made only within the framework of a full revision of a genus (http: // iczn. org / nontaxonomy / term / 540). The original description of X. umbellata indicated that the species had been collected in the Red Sea, but without providing an exact location. Therefore, it is fully justified that the currently designated neotype as well as the additional material used for comparison, have been collected in Red Sea sites: Eilat and Saudi Arabia. The geographical distribution of X. umbellata based on the literature encompasses regions and sites across the Indo-Pacific reef systems. It includes the Pacific Ocean: Japan (e. g. Utinomi 1977; Imahara 1996), Indonesia (Schenk 1896), the Philippines (Roxas 1933), Papua New Guinea: New Britain (Ashworth 1900) and the Great Barrier Reef, Australia (Hickson 1931 a); Indian Ocean: Zanzibar and Madagascar (e. g. Tixier-Durivault 1966; Verseveldt 1971), and the Red Sea (e. g. Ehrenberg 1834; Gohar 1940, Benayahu 1990, Benayahu et a l. 2002). In agreement with the note published by Reinicke (1997), as well as recent genetic insights into xeniid biogeography (McFadden et al. 2019), records from locations outside the Red Sea should be re-evaluated to determine if those specimens indeed share features of the neotype that had not been indicated previously, specifically its sclerite microstructure and genetic affiliation. Similar species and conclusions. X. umbellata, X. blumi, X. ternatana and X. viridis all possess three rows of pinnules and have overlapping numbers of pinnules in the outermost row (16 – 27, 16 – 22, 15 – 23 and 15 – 22, respectively). All have sclerites that are composed of calcite rods, uniform in width, although X. ternatana and X. viridis also feature surface crests (Figs. 14 and 15, respectively). The sclerites of X. umbellata differ from those of the other three species, as the tips of the rods are aligned parallel to the sclerite surface and are sinuous (Figs. 16 – 22), unlike those of other Xenia species, which are radially arranged and terminate vertically towards the sclerite surface (Figs. 1 – 15). Therefore, it is concluded that such differences in sclerite microstructure along with the distinct phylogenetic position of X. umbellata from the Red Sea compared to other Xenia species make X. umbellata unique and justify its designation as a separate species (see also Fig. 23).	en	Halász, Anna, Mcfadden, Catherine S., Toonen, Robert, Benayahu, Yehuda (2019): Re-description of type material of Xenia Lamarck, 1816 (Octocorallia: Xeniidae). Zootaxa 4652 (2): 201-239, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4652.2.1
967E5C11AC349021FF5AFD2F1559FB87.taxon	materials_examined	Distribution. Red Sea, Japan, Philippines, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea: New Britain, Great Barrier Reef (Australia), Zanzibar and Madagascar.	en	Halász, Anna, Mcfadden, Catherine S., Toonen, Robert, Benayahu, Yehuda (2019): Re-description of type material of Xenia Lamarck, 1816 (Octocorallia: Xeniidae). Zootaxa 4652 (2): 201-239, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4652.2.1
