taxonID	type	description	language	source
03D787C1FFB28E27FE510A0FFE5E785D.taxon	description	Figures 2 – 6, tables 1, 2	en	Barragán, Yamaly, Rodríguez, Estefanía, Chiodo, Tommaso, Gusmão, Luciana C., Sánchez, Carlos, Lauretta, Daniel (2024): Revision of the genus Actinostella (Cnidaria: Actiniaria: Actinioidea) from tropical and subtropical western Atlantic and eastern Pacific: redescriptions and synonymies. American Museum Novitates 2024 (4014): 1-48, DOI: 10.1206/4014.1, URL: https://bioone.org/journals/american-museum-novitates/volume-2024/issue-4014/4014.1/Revision-of-the-Genus-Actinostella-Cnidaria--Actiniaria--Actinioidea/10.1206/4014.1.full
03D787C1FFB28E27FE510A0FFE5E785D.taxon	description	EXAMINED MATERIAL: Actinostella bradleyi: AMNH _ IZC 00361355, AMNH _ IZC 00361356, AMNH _ IZC 00361357, AMNH _ IZC 00361358, USNM 1606849, USNM 1606850; Asteractis bradleyi Verrill, 1869 [= A. bradleyi]: YPM 1009 (holotype). Lophactis ornata Verrill, 1869 [= Telmatactis cf. panamensis (Verrill, 1869)]: YPM – 2015 (holotype). YPM repository IZAR. 001433: Frank Howe Bradley Correspondence; 1866 – 1867; Correspondence from F. H. Bradley to A. E. Verrill; all sent from his expedition to America Central (letters transcribed by E. Lazo-Wasem). DESCRIPTION: External anatomy (figs. 2, 5): Well-developed pedal disc, to 23 mm diameter. Column elongate, to 55 mm height and 42 mm diameter, with 96 longitudinal rows of verrucae distally in each endo- and exocoel. Marginal ruff with rows of vesicles. Oral disc to 34 mm diameter. Fosse deep. Tentacles, to 96 in five cycles; simple, smooth, all similar length, to 18 mm. Mesenterial insertions visible in pedal disc. Internal anatomy (figs. 3, 5): Same number of mesenteries distally and proximally. Fortyeight pairs of mesenteries hexamerously arranged in four cycles (6 + 6 + 12 + 24 = 48). All cycles perfect and fertile, including directives (fig. 3 B). Two pairs of directives attached to two clearly distinct siphonoglyphs. Gonochoric, developed oocysts 0.06 – 0.15 mm in diameter (fig. 3 F) in specimen collected in May 2013, developed spermatic cysts 0.09 – 0.23 mm in diameter (fig. 3 E) in specimens collected in August, October, and November 2013. Retractor muscles strong, bandlike, and restricted. Parietobasilar muscles well developed (fig. 3 G), with long free mesogleal lamella. Basilar muscles well developed, processes short and thin (fig. 3 H). Endodermal marginal sphincter muscle circumscribed (fig. 3 A, C). Longitudinal muscles of tentacles ectodermal (fig. 3 D). Zooxanthellae present in tentacles and marginal ruff. Color (fig. 2): Variable in live specimens. In specimens from Mexico, pedal disc and column pinkish or opaque orange; verrucae darker than column. Oral disc olive green with beige radial lines. Marginal ruff olive green with radial brown and beige stripes. Tentacles brownish or reddish with brown base and spots with a brown dot along the entire tentacle. Specimens from Panama, same pedal disc, column, and oral disc, but with brownish marginal ruff. Preserved material beige and marginal ruff lighter. Cnidom (figs. 4, 6): Basitrichs, basitrichs S, b - mastigophores, p - mastigophores A, p - mastigophores B 1, and spirocysts. Sizes and distribution in table 2. GEOGRAPHIC AND BATHYMETRIC DISTRIBUTION AND NATURAL HISTORY: Actinostella bradleyi can be found in the Pacific Ocean in Mexico and Panama. Although Verrill (1869) did not specify the location of the type locality (i. e., Panama Reef) in the Pacific, we confirm the type locality of A. bradleyi in the Pacific side of Panama, off the coast of Panama City based on transcriptions of the original correspondence (archived record IZAR. 001433) between Verrill and F. H. Bradley (collector). In Mexico, A. bradleyi can be found on the intertidal shore in Pichilingue Bay in the Gulf of California and in Conquista Agraria and Magdalena Bay on the Pacific side. In Panama, this species was collected in the Azuero Peninsula (Los Santos Province) and the Pearl Islands (Gulf of Panama Province) between 3 – 10 m. The specimens were found burrowed in sand attached to a buried rock or shell, or hidden in rock crevices, with the marginal ruff above the substratum. Actinostella bradleyi and A. californica live in sympatry, although in Mexico, A. californica is more common (and found at shallower depths) than its Pacific congener.	en	Barragán, Yamaly, Rodríguez, Estefanía, Chiodo, Tommaso, Gusmão, Luciana C., Sánchez, Carlos, Lauretta, Daniel (2024): Revision of the genus Actinostella (Cnidaria: Actiniaria: Actinioidea) from tropical and subtropical western Atlantic and eastern Pacific: redescriptions and synonymies. American Museum Novitates 2024 (4014): 1-48, DOI: 10.1206/4014.1, URL: https://bioone.org/journals/american-museum-novitates/volume-2024/issue-4014/4014.1/Revision-of-the-Genus-Actinostella-Cnidaria--Actiniaria--Actinioidea/10.1206/4014.1.full
03D787C1FFB28E27FE510A0FFE5E785D.taxon	discussion	REMARKS: Actinostella bradleyi differs from the five other species of the genus by the combination of the number of tentacles (up to 96), perfect mesenteries and distribution of fertile cycles of mesenteries (all four cycles), and the presence of p - mastigophores A in the marginal ruff and column (figs. 4, 6). Until the specimens analyzed by Ocaña (1994) from the Canary Islands are examined, A. bradleyi is the only species within the genus with up to five cycles of tentacles and four cycles of mesenteries. Although externally A. bradleyi closely resembles the only other species of the genus recorded from the eastern Pacific, A. californica, they can be easily distinguished in the field by the number of tentacles (to 96 in A. bradleyi and up to 48 in A. californica). However, both species live in sympatry and when specimens of A. bradleyi are not completely mature, as it is the case of the holotype of the species (YPM 1009), they can be confused with A. californica. Attributes of the cnidom can differentiate them. Barragán (2015) redescribed one sterile specimen with three cycles of mesenteries collected in Pichilingue Bay in the Gulf of California (Mexico) and considered it as A. californica based mainly on its distribution. Our detailed revision of this material here shows that this specimen is an immature specimen of A. bradleyi in which the fourth cycle of mesenteries is not yet developed. Fautin (2016: 177) cited under the list of synonymies of Actinostella bradleyi the following: “ Oulactis californica McMurrich, 1893 [Ref. 386], p. 196 – 197, 198, 206 (original description). ” This synonymy is incorrect because those specimens correspond to the type material of the species A. californica. In addition, Fautin (2016) mentioned as valid names used for Oulactis californica McMurrich, 1893, both A. bradleyi and A. californica. In this study, we show that O. californica is a synonym of A. californica (McMurrich, 1893) and different from A. bradleyi (see remarks under A. californica).	en	Barragán, Yamaly, Rodríguez, Estefanía, Chiodo, Tommaso, Gusmão, Luciana C., Sánchez, Carlos, Lauretta, Daniel (2024): Revision of the genus Actinostella (Cnidaria: Actiniaria: Actinioidea) from tropical and subtropical western Atlantic and eastern Pacific: redescriptions and synonymies. American Museum Novitates 2024 (4014): 1-48, DOI: 10.1206/4014.1, URL: https://bioone.org/journals/american-museum-novitates/volume-2024/issue-4014/4014.1/Revision-of-the-Genus-Actinostella-Cnidaria--Actiniaria--Actinioidea/10.1206/4014.1.full
03D787C1FFAA8E2DFE030AE7FBC87E3B.taxon	description	Figures 7 – 9, tables 1, 3	en	Barragán, Yamaly, Rodríguez, Estefanía, Chiodo, Tommaso, Gusmão, Luciana C., Sánchez, Carlos, Lauretta, Daniel (2024): Revision of the genus Actinostella (Cnidaria: Actiniaria: Actinioidea) from tropical and subtropical western Atlantic and eastern Pacific: redescriptions and synonymies. American Museum Novitates 2024 (4014): 1-48, DOI: 10.1206/4014.1, URL: https://bioone.org/journals/american-museum-novitates/volume-2024/issue-4014/4014.1/Revision-of-the-Genus-Actinostella-Cnidaria--Actiniaria--Actinioidea/10.1206/4014.1.full
03D787C1FFAA8E2DFE030AE7FBC87E3B.taxon	description	(?) Phyllactis concinnata (Drayon in Dana, 1846): Carlgren, 1951.	en	Barragán, Yamaly, Rodríguez, Estefanía, Chiodo, Tommaso, Gusmão, Luciana C., Sánchez, Carlos, Lauretta, Daniel (2024): Revision of the genus Actinostella (Cnidaria: Actiniaria: Actinioidea) from tropical and subtropical western Atlantic and eastern Pacific: redescriptions and synonymies. American Museum Novitates 2024 (4014): 1-48, DOI: 10.1206/4014.1, URL: https://bioone.org/journals/american-museum-novitates/volume-2024/issue-4014/4014.1/Revision-of-the-Genus-Actinostella-Cnidaria--Actiniaria--Actinioidea/10.1206/4014.1.full
03D787C1FFAA8E2DFE030AE7FBC87E3B.taxon	description	EXAMINED MATERIAL: Actinostella californica: AMNH _ IZC 00361339, AMNH _ IZC 00361340, AMNH _ IZC 00361341, AMNH _ IZC 00361342, AMNH _ IZC 00361343, AMNH _ IZC 00361344, AMNH _ IZC 00361345, AMNH _ IZC 00361346, AMNH _ IZC 00361347, AMNH _ IZC 00361348, AMNH _ IZC 00361349, AMNH _ IZC 00361350, AMNH _ IZC 00361351, AMNH _ IZC 00361352, AMNH _ IZC 00361353, AMNH _ IZC 00361354; USNM 1606851; USNM 17812 (syntype). See table 1 for material details. DESCRIPTION: External anatomy (fig. 7): Well-developed pedal disc, to 25 mm diameter. Column elongate, to 65 mm height and 52 mm diameter, with 48 longitudinal rows of verrucae distally in each endo- and exocoel. Marginal ruff with rows of vesicles. Oral disc, to 38 mm diameter. Fosse deep. Tentacles, 48, arranged in four cycles; simple, smooth, all of similar length, to 16 mm. Mesenterial insertions visible in pedal disc and column. Internal anatomy (fig. 8): Same number of mesenteries distally and proximally. Twenty-four pairs of mesenteries hexamerously arranged in three cycles (6 + 6 + 12 = 24). First and second cycles perfect, third imperfect (fig. 8 B). All mesenteries fertile including directives (fig. 8 B). Two pairs of directives attached to two clearly distinct siphonoglyphs. Gonochoric, developed oocysts 0.08 – 0.18 mm in diameter (fig. 8 E) in specimens collected in May and November 2013, and March 2016. Retractor muscles strong, diffuse to restricted; variability within studied specimens. Parietobasilar muscles well developed, with short free mesogleal lamella in juveniles, longer in adults (fig. 8 F). Basilar muscles well developed, processes short and thin (fig. 8 G). Endodermal marginal sphincter muscle weakly circumscribed (fig. 8 A, C). Longitudinal muscles of tentacles ectodermal (fig. 8 D). Zooxanthellae present in tentacles and marginal ruff. Color (fig. 7): Variable in live specimens. Specimens with pedal disc and column pinkish, beige, or opaque orange; verrucae darker than column. Oral disc olive green with white radial lines. Marginal ruff olive green with lighter stripes and a brown ring closer to the mouth. Mouth light pink. Tentacles translucent greenish, brownish, or reddish, with white bases; white spots with brown dots along entire tentacles. Preserved material beige, oral disc and marginal ruff lighter. Cnidom (fig. 9); Basitrichs, basitrichs S, b - mastigophores, p - mastigophores A, p - mastigophores B 1 and spirocysts. Sizes and distribution in table 3. GEOGRAPHIC AND BATHYMETRIC DISTRIBUTION AND NATURAL HISTORY: Actinostella californica can be found in the Pacific Ocean from Mexico to Panama (McMurrich, 1893; Carlgren, 1951). Although Carlgren (1951) cited A. bradleyi (= A. californica pro parte in this study) in the Pearl Islands (Panama) he did not examine specimens from this locality, but he was referring to Verrill’s original description of A. bradleyi. Häussermann (2003) and Fautin (2016) considered the citation of Asteractis concinnata from Peru by Pax (1912) to correspond to A. californica; however, Pax (1912) described his Peruvian specimens having 4 – 5 cycles of tentacles and without zooxanthellae, and thus we consider those specimens to be Oulactis concinnata. In Mexico, A. californica can be found in the Pacific side (west of Baja Peninsula) in Magdalena Bay, and in the Gulf of California it can be found in La Paz Bay and Concepcion Bay. In addition, this species was collected in Panama in the Pearl Islands. The specimens were found burrowed in sand, attached to a rock or shell, buried, or hidden in rock crevices with the marginal ruff above the substratum. They are often found in the intertidal to up to 12 meters in La Paz Bay (Gulf of California; see Barragán et al., 2019).	en	Barragán, Yamaly, Rodríguez, Estefanía, Chiodo, Tommaso, Gusmão, Luciana C., Sánchez, Carlos, Lauretta, Daniel (2024): Revision of the genus Actinostella (Cnidaria: Actiniaria: Actinioidea) from tropical and subtropical western Atlantic and eastern Pacific: redescriptions and synonymies. American Museum Novitates 2024 (4014): 1-48, DOI: 10.1206/4014.1, URL: https://bioone.org/journals/american-museum-novitates/volume-2024/issue-4014/4014.1/Revision-of-the-Genus-Actinostella-Cnidaria--Actiniaria--Actinioidea/10.1206/4014.1.full
03D787C1FFAA8E2DFE030AE7FBC87E3B.taxon	discussion	REMARKS: Actinostella californica is distinguished from congeners by the combination of having three cycles of fertile mesenteries, first and second cycles perfect, and only basitrichs in the marginal ruff and column (table 6). It was initially described by McMurrich (1893) as Oulactis californica without any mention of the cnidom (a common practice in those days). Later, Carlgren (1951) redescribed Phyllactis bradleyi and P. concinnata (Drayton in Dana, 1846; current valid name: Oulactis concinnata) based on specimens from the Gulf of California, emphasizing they might need to be revised. Carlgren (1951) mentioned only the number of mesenteries (24) without describing their arrangement for the two specimens of P. bradleyi from the Gulf of California. The presence of only three cycles of mesenteries and the brief description of the cnidom suggest the two specimens might be A. californica. However, we cannot state confidently that the specimens of P. bradleyi from the Gulf of California redescribed by Carlgren (1951) are synonyms of A. californica because p - mastigophores A are easily overlooked unless surveying thoroughly; thus, we report this citation with a question mark (see synonymy list). We agree with Haüssermann (2003) that Carlgren’s (1951) redescription of seven specimens from the Gulf of California as Phyllactis concinnata actually corresponds to specimens of Actinostella californica. Like Haüssermann (2003), we think that Oulactis concinnata and A. californica (both previously described as Phyllactis) are clearly different species, with O. concinnata having many more tentacles and mesenteries (up to 400 tentacles), often acrorhagi and fighting tentacles (and thus holotrichs) but no zooxanthellae, whereas A. californica has only up to 48 tentacles and zooxanthellae, but lacks acrorhagi (see Haüssermann, 2003). The only attribute from Carlgren’s (1951) treatment that does not fit A. californica is the presence of three perfect cycles of mesenteries: in the type material from McMurrich (1893) and the other 22 specimens we studied, the third cycle of mesenteries is imperfect. We observed in the studied specimens longitudinal lines of tissue (corresponding to the third cycle of mesenteries) attached to the actinopharynx side distally, which might be interpreted as broken perfect mesenteries; it is highly unlikely that this artifact occurred in every single specimen examined, and most feasible that Carlgren’s (1951) observation might have been an artifact of observing the mesenteries distally. Consequently, we consider the third cycle in A. californica as imperfect. Alternatively, the specimens from the Gulf of California revised by Carlgren (1951) might have been juveniles of A. bradleyi with only three cycles of mesenteries developed (similar to the holotype of the species). Although the absence of p - mastigophores A in the marginal ruff and column suggests they were specimens of A. californica, we still consider this attribution an open question because it is also possible that Carlgren (1951) might have overlooked this cnida: we therefore reflect this in the synonymy list.	en	Barragán, Yamaly, Rodríguez, Estefanía, Chiodo, Tommaso, Gusmão, Luciana C., Sánchez, Carlos, Lauretta, Daniel (2024): Revision of the genus Actinostella (Cnidaria: Actiniaria: Actinioidea) from tropical and subtropical western Atlantic and eastern Pacific: redescriptions and synonymies. American Museum Novitates 2024 (4014): 1-48, DOI: 10.1206/4014.1, URL: https://bioone.org/journals/american-museum-novitates/volume-2024/issue-4014/4014.1/Revision-of-the-Genus-Actinostella-Cnidaria--Actiniaria--Actinioidea/10.1206/4014.1.full
03D787C1FFA08E2BFE340C0AFE737A9C.taxon	description	Figures 10 – 12, tables 1, 4	en	Barragán, Yamaly, Rodríguez, Estefanía, Chiodo, Tommaso, Gusmão, Luciana C., Sánchez, Carlos, Lauretta, Daniel (2024): Revision of the genus Actinostella (Cnidaria: Actiniaria: Actinioidea) from tropical and subtropical western Atlantic and eastern Pacific: redescriptions and synonymies. American Museum Novitates 2024 (4014): 1-48, DOI: 10.1206/4014.1, URL: https://bioone.org/journals/american-museum-novitates/volume-2024/issue-4014/4014.1/Revision-of-the-Genus-Actinostella-Cnidaria--Actiniaria--Actinioidea/10.1206/4014.1.full
03D787C1FFA08E2BFE340C0AFE737A9C.taxon	description	EXAMINED MATERIAL: Actinostella digitata: MACN-In 43521; Cradactis digitata: USNM 17776 (syntypes). See table 1 for material details. DESCRIPTION: External anatomy (fig. 10): Well-developed pedal disc, to 35 mm diameter. Column elongate, to 70 mm height and 30 mm diameter, with 48 longitudinal rows of verrucae distally in each endo- and exocoel. Marginal ruff with rows of vesicles. Oral disc to 17 mm diameter. Fosse deep. Tentacles, 48, arranged in four cycles; simple, smooth, all of similar length, to 12 mm, with terminal pore. Mesenterial insertions not visible in pedal disc or column. Internal anatomy (fig. 11): Same number of mesenteries distally and proximally. Twenty-four pairs of mesenteries hexamerously arranged in three cycles (6 + 6 + 12 = 24). All cycles perfect. All mesenteries fertile including directives. Two pairs of directives attached to two clearly distinct siphonoglyphs (fig. 11 B). Gonochoric, developed spermatic cysts to 0.15 mm in diameter (fig. 11 E) in specimen collected in February 2010. Retractor muscles strong, bandlike, restricted. Parietobasilar muscles well developed, with short, free mesogleal lamella (fig. 11 F). Basilar muscles poorly developed, processes short and thin (fig. 11 G). Endodermal marginal sphincter muscle strong, circumscribed with thin central lamella of mesoglea (fig. 11 A). Longitudinal muscles of tentacles ectodermal (fig. 11 D). Zooxanthellae present in tentacles and marginal ruff. Color (fig. 10): Newly collected specimen from Chubut (Argentina) with beige pedal disc with irregular bright orange spots. Column orange over a beige base color, with verrucae darker orange. Oral disc beige with darker radial lines. Marginal ruff same color as column with beige vesicles. Tentacles translucent brownish, with darker longitudinal lines. Preserved material beige, oral disc and marginal ruff lighter. Cnidom (fig. 12): Basitrichs, b - mastigophores, p - mastigophores A, p - mastigophores B 1, and spirocysts. Sizes and distribution in table 4. GEOGRAPHIC AND BATHYMETRIC DISTRIBUTION AND NATURAL HISTORY: Actinostella digitata can be found in the southern Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Argentina (McMurrich, 1893). This is the second record of the species, and it was collected in Paraná Beach, Chubut, southward to the type locality (La Plata River) in Argentina. The single specimen from Paraná Beach was found attached to a rolling stone with only the oral disc above the substratum. Despite working in the area for several years, this was the first and only time the collectors noticed this species. It can be found from 5 to 10 meters (Paraná Beach).	en	Barragán, Yamaly, Rodríguez, Estefanía, Chiodo, Tommaso, Gusmão, Luciana C., Sánchez, Carlos, Lauretta, Daniel (2024): Revision of the genus Actinostella (Cnidaria: Actiniaria: Actinioidea) from tropical and subtropical western Atlantic and eastern Pacific: redescriptions and synonymies. American Museum Novitates 2024 (4014): 1-48, DOI: 10.1206/4014.1, URL: https://bioone.org/journals/american-museum-novitates/volume-2024/issue-4014/4014.1/Revision-of-the-Genus-Actinostella-Cnidaria--Actiniaria--Actinioidea/10.1206/4014.1.full
03D787C1FFA08E2BFE340C0AFE737A9C.taxon	discussion	REMARKS: Actinostella digitata is distinguished by the combination of having three cycles of perfect and fertile mesenteries and only small basitrichs in the column; it shares having p - mastigophores A and basitrichs in the marginal ruff with A. flosculifera and A. bradleyi. It was originally described by McMurrich (1893) as Cradactis digitata. We analyzed the type specimens and one newly collected specimen from Paraná Beach (in Chubut, Argentina), southward of the type locality in La Plata River (Argentina). In the type specimens, the perfect second cycle was hard to discern because of the state of preservation; Carlgren (1934) had analyzed the same specimens and suggested that the three cycles might be perfect, a characteristic we confirmed in the newly collected specimen, which clearly has the three cycles perfect and fertile, including directives.	en	Barragán, Yamaly, Rodríguez, Estefanía, Chiodo, Tommaso, Gusmão, Luciana C., Sánchez, Carlos, Lauretta, Daniel (2024): Revision of the genus Actinostella (Cnidaria: Actiniaria: Actinioidea) from tropical and subtropical western Atlantic and eastern Pacific: redescriptions and synonymies. American Museum Novitates 2024 (4014): 1-48, DOI: 10.1206/4014.1, URL: https://bioone.org/journals/american-museum-novitates/volume-2024/issue-4014/4014.1/Revision-of-the-Genus-Actinostella-Cnidaria--Actiniaria--Actinioidea/10.1206/4014.1.full
03D787C1FFA68E17FE3208A7FC5A7FCB.taxon	description	Figures 13 – 14, tables 1, 5	en	Barragán, Yamaly, Rodríguez, Estefanía, Chiodo, Tommaso, Gusmão, Luciana C., Sánchez, Carlos, Lauretta, Daniel (2024): Revision of the genus Actinostella (Cnidaria: Actiniaria: Actinioidea) from tropical and subtropical western Atlantic and eastern Pacific: redescriptions and synonymies. American Museum Novitates 2024 (4014): 1-48, DOI: 10.1206/4014.1, URL: https://bioone.org/journals/american-museum-novitates/volume-2024/issue-4014/4014.1/Revision-of-the-Genus-Actinostella-Cnidaria--Actiniaria--Actinioidea/10.1206/4014.1.full
03D787C1FFA68E17FE3208A7FC5A7FCB.taxon	description	Oulactis flosculifera (Lesueur): Milne Edwards, 1857.	en	Barragán, Yamaly, Rodríguez, Estefanía, Chiodo, Tommaso, Gusmão, Luciana C., Sánchez, Carlos, Lauretta, Daniel (2024): Revision of the genus Actinostella (Cnidaria: Actiniaria: Actinioidea) from tropical and subtropical western Atlantic and eastern Pacific: redescriptions and synonymies. American Museum Novitates 2024 (4014): 1-48, DOI: 10.1206/4014.1, URL: https://bioone.org/journals/american-museum-novitates/volume-2024/issue-4014/4014.1/Revision-of-the-Genus-Actinostella-Cnidaria--Actiniaria--Actinioidea/10.1206/4014.1.full
03D787C1FFA68E17FE3208A7FC5A7FCB.taxon	description	Asteractis, n. sp.: Duerden, 1897. Asteractis expansa Duerden in McMurrich, 1898.	en	Barragán, Yamaly, Rodríguez, Estefanía, Chiodo, Tommaso, Gusmão, Luciana C., Sánchez, Carlos, Lauretta, Daniel (2024): Revision of the genus Actinostella (Cnidaria: Actiniaria: Actinioidea) from tropical and subtropical western Atlantic and eastern Pacific: redescriptions and synonymies. American Museum Novitates 2024 (4014): 1-48, DOI: 10.1206/4014.1, URL: https://bioone.org/journals/american-museum-novitates/volume-2024/issue-4014/4014.1/Revision-of-the-Genus-Actinostella-Cnidaria--Actiniaria--Actinioidea/10.1206/4014.1.full
03D787C1FFA68E17FE3208A7FC5A7FCB.taxon	description	EXAMINED MATERIAL: Actinostella flosculifera: AMNH Cat. Cnidaria 587, AMNH Cat. Cnidaria 694, AMNH Cat. Cnidaria 741, AMNH Cat. Cnidaria 1283, AMNH Cat. Cnidaria 1324, AMNH Cat. Cnidaria 1330, AMNH Cat. Cnidaria 1352, AMNH Cat. Cnidaria 3585, AMNH Cat. Cnidaria 5308, USNM 1606852, USNM 1606853, USNM 1606854, USNM 1606855, USNM 1606856, USNM 1606857, USNM 1606858, USNM 1606859, USNM 1606860, USNM 1606861, USNM 1606862, USNM 1606863; MZUSP 8405; Phyllactis conquilega [= A. flosculifera]: SMNH- 1170 (holotype). See table 1 for material details. DESCRIPTION. External anatomy (fig. 13): Well-developed pedal disc, to 29 mm diameter. Column, to 65 mm height and 38 mm diameter, with 48 longitudinal rows of verrucae distally in each endo- and exocoel. Marginal ruff with rows of vesicles. Oral disc, to 34 mm diameter. Fosse deep. Tentacles, 48, arranged in four cycles; simple, smooth, all of similar length, to 13 mm. Mesenterial insertions visible in oral disc, column, and pedal disc. Internal anatomy (fig. 13): Same number of mesenteries distally and proximally. Twenty-four pairs of mesenteries hexamerously arranged in three cycles (6 + 6 + 12 = 24). First and second cycles perfect. All mesenteries fertile, including directives. Two pairs of directives attached to two clearly distinct siphonoglyphs. Gonochoric, developed oocysts 0.18 – 0.29 mm in diameter in specimens collected in May 2010, June 1966, and November 1899. Retractor muscles restricted and strong. Parietobasilar muscles well developed, with free mesogleal lamella. Basilar muscles well developed, processes short and thin. Endodermal marginal sphincter muscle weakly circumscribed, without central mesogleal lamella (fig. 13 F – I). Longitudinal muscles of tentacles ectodermal. Zooxanthellae present in tentacles and marginal ruff. Color (fig. 13): Variable in live specimens. Specimens from Panama with pedal disc and column pinkish, beige, or opaque orange; verrucae darker than column. Oral disc brownish with white radial lines. Marginal ruff white, green, or brown, with lighter stripes and a brownish ring near the mouth. Mouth light brownish. Tentacles translucent white, brownish, or reddish with lighter spots and dots along the entire aboral side of tentacles. Preserved material beige, oral disc, and marginal ruff lighter. Cnidom (fig. 14): Basitrichs, basitrichs S, b - mastigophores, p - mastigophores A, p - mastigophores B 1, and spirocysts. Sizes and distribution in table 5. GEOGRAPHIC AND BATHYMETRIC DISTRIBUTION AND NATURAL HISTORY: Actinostella flosculifera is distributed along the entire Caribbean Sea (from Bermuda to the Lesser Antilles), Gulf of Mexico, Colombia, and the South Atlantic off the coast of Brazil (see Schlenz and Belém, 1992; González-Muñoz et al., 2012, 2013; Durán-Fuentes et al., 2022; 2023). The species has been also reported in the east Atlantic in the Cameroon, Canary Islands, Cape Verde Island, and Senegal (Ocaña and den Hartog, 2002; Ocaña et al., 2015) and the Gulf of Guinea (Wirtz, 2003), but these records need to be checked to confirm species-level identification. Individuals in Bermuda have been described as viviparous (Cairns and den Hartog, 1986).	en	Barragán, Yamaly, Rodríguez, Estefanía, Chiodo, Tommaso, Gusmão, Luciana C., Sánchez, Carlos, Lauretta, Daniel (2024): Revision of the genus Actinostella (Cnidaria: Actiniaria: Actinioidea) from tropical and subtropical western Atlantic and eastern Pacific: redescriptions and synonymies. American Museum Novitates 2024 (4014): 1-48, DOI: 10.1206/4014.1, URL: https://bioone.org/journals/american-museum-novitates/volume-2024/issue-4014/4014.1/Revision-of-the-Genus-Actinostella-Cnidaria--Actiniaria--Actinioidea/10.1206/4014.1.full
03D787C1FFA68E17FE3208A7FC5A7FCB.taxon	discussion	REMARKS: Actinostella flosculifera is distinguished by the combination of having three cycles of fertile mesenteries in which only the first and second cycles are perfect and p - mastigophores A in the marginal ruff and column. All members of Actinostella except for A. bradleyi are known to have up to three cycles of mesenteries. Nevertheless, Ocaña (1994) described specimens from the Canary Islands (east Atlantic) as A. flosculifera with four or five cycles of mesenteries and four cycles of tentacles. Because having more cycles of mesenteries than cycles of tentacles is not a common condition in Actiniaria (Stephenson, 1928), we suspect this might be a mistake and consider it as such until the specimens are reexamined.	en	Barragán, Yamaly, Rodríguez, Estefanía, Chiodo, Tommaso, Gusmão, Luciana C., Sánchez, Carlos, Lauretta, Daniel (2024): Revision of the genus Actinostella (Cnidaria: Actiniaria: Actinioidea) from tropical and subtropical western Atlantic and eastern Pacific: redescriptions and synonymies. American Museum Novitates 2024 (4014): 1-48, DOI: 10.1206/4014.1, URL: https://bioone.org/journals/american-museum-novitates/volume-2024/issue-4014/4014.1/Revision-of-the-Genus-Actinostella-Cnidaria--Actiniaria--Actinioidea/10.1206/4014.1.full
03D787C1FFA68E17FE3208A7FC5A7FCB.taxon	materials_examined	Corrêa (1964) did not report the presence of p - mastigophores A in the marginal ruff or the column of the material of A. flosculifera she studied. However, because capsules of p - mastigophores A in the ruff and in the column are not very abundant in specimens of A. flosculifera (and easy to miss unless looking for them specifically) and because we found this category of capsules in our examination of different specimens across the Caribbean and on those from Brazil (see tables 1, 5), we think Corrêa (1964) just overlooked this category of cnidae. Although this species has been redescribed a few times (e. g., Corrêa, 1964; Ocaña, 1994; González-Muñoz et al., 2012; Durán-Fuentes et al., 2022), the amount of revised material examined here allowed us to clarify the presence of an endodermal marginal sphincter muscle, all mesenteries fertile, p - mastigophores A in the marginal ruff and column, and S-shape basitrichs in column.	en	Barragán, Yamaly, Rodríguez, Estefanía, Chiodo, Tommaso, Gusmão, Luciana C., Sánchez, Carlos, Lauretta, Daniel (2024): Revision of the genus Actinostella (Cnidaria: Actiniaria: Actinioidea) from tropical and subtropical western Atlantic and eastern Pacific: redescriptions and synonymies. American Museum Novitates 2024 (4014): 1-48, DOI: 10.1206/4014.1, URL: https://bioone.org/journals/american-museum-novitates/volume-2024/issue-4014/4014.1/Revision-of-the-Genus-Actinostella-Cnidaria--Actiniaria--Actinioidea/10.1206/4014.1.full
