Cladiella exigua (Tixier-Durivault, 1944)

Lazar, Einav, Mcfadden, Catherine S., Huchon, Dorothée & Benayahu, Yehuda, 2025, Redescription of type material of the genus Cladiella Gray, 1869 (Octocorallia, Malacalcyonacea, Cladiellidae) from the Red Sea, Zootaxa 5674 (1), pp. 1-84 : 32

publication ID	https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5674.1.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:FF8F0124-E9C0-45E0-9989-C0B74BF11036
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/039787D2-FC47-FFCE-EDA9-FF198D8BE0E6
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Cladiella exigua (Tixier-Durivault, 1944)
status

Treatment

Cladiella exigua (Tixier-Durivault, 1944) View in CoL

( Figs. 15B View FIGURE 15 , 18 View FIGURE 18 & 19 View FIGURE 19 )

Lobularia exigua Tixier-Durivault, 1944a: 184 View in CoL ; Tixier-Durivault 1948: 46–50, Figs. 31–36 View FIGURE 31 View FIGURE 32 View FIGURE 33 View FIGURE 34 View FIGURE 35 View FIGURE 36 .

Material examined. Syntypes. MNHN-IK-2000-380, Red Sea, 1850, coll. A. B. Clot Bey; MNHN-IK-2000-516 (3 colonies), same details as MNHN-IK-2000-380 .

Description. Syntype MNHN-IK-2000-380 is an encrusting colony with a maximum cross-section of 53 x 39 mm wide featuring knob-like lobes, occasionally divided into lobules ( Fig. 15B View FIGURE 15 ). The location of the retracted polyps is noted as dark pits on the lobe surface.

The sclerome of the polyps comprises tuberculated sclerites and few rod-like sclerites, 0.04–0.07 mm long ( Fig. 18A View FIGURE 18 ). Their surface mostly has an irregular texture and in part a cristate-like texture. The poorly developed dumbbells of the surface layer of the lobes are 0.06–0.07 mm long ( Fig. 18B View FIGURE 18 ). They feature rounded tubercles and some low blunt-ended conical ones. The dumbbells from the interior of the lobes are 0.06–0.09 mm long, featuring pointed conical or blunt-ended conical tubercles separated by a bare waist, 0.02–0.03 mm wide and 0.01–0.02 mm long ( Fig. 18C View FIGURE 18 ). The poorly developed dumbbells of the surface layer of the colony base are 0.05-0.08 mm long ( Fig. 19A View FIGURE 19 ) and their tubercles resemble those of the surface layer of the lobes. The dumbbells from the interior of the base are 0.06–0.08 mm long, featuring pointed conical or blunt-ended conical tubercles ( Fig. 19B View FIGURE 19 ). Their bare waist is 0.02–0.03 mm wide and 0.01–0.02 mm long.

Color. The dry syntype MNHN-IK-2000-380 is light brown.

Remarks. The initial species assignment of L. exigua by Tixier-Durivault (1944a: 184) did not depict the morphological characters of the syntype colony. These were subsequently presented in a revision of the genus ( Tixier-Durivault 1948: 46–50, Figs. 31–36 View FIGURE 31 View FIGURE 32 View FIGURE 33 View FIGURE 34 View FIGURE 35 View FIGURE 36 ). That description did not depict the polyp sclerites. However, for the rest of the characteristics the current findings regarding both the morphology and the sclerites of syntype MNHN- IK-2000-380 correspond to those of the earlier description. The dumbbells from the interior of the colony base are short, up to 0.08 mm, compared to other congeners ( Table 2). The polyp sclerites are elongated, featuring a tuberculate surface ( Fig. 18A View FIGURE 18 ). The morphological characters of the two latter types of sclerites are suggested to be diagnostic for C. exigua . The morphological characters of the three syntype fragments labeled MNHN-IK-2000-516 (not shown) are in agreement with MNHN-IK-2000-380, except for size. It should be noted that no details regarding the precise locality in the Red Sea where the syntypes were collected are given in the description.