Cladiella prattae (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 : 63-64

Cladiella prattae (Tixier-Durivault, 1944)

( Figs. 41C , 46 & 47 )

Lobularia Prattae Tixier-Durivault, 1944b: 341–342 ; Tixier-Durivault 1948: 102–107, Figs. 94–99.

? Cladiella prattae ; Tixier-Durivault 1969: 135–136 (Gambier Island); Tixier-Durivault 1970a: 191–192 ( New Caledonia); Tixier-Durivault 1970b: 123 ( Vietnam); van Ofwegen 2007: 141 ( New Caledonia listed only).

Material examined. Syntypes. MNHN-IK-2000-398, Red Sea. 1850, coll. A. B. Clot Bey; MNHN-IK-2000-389, same details as MNHN-IK-2000-398 .

Description. Syntype MNHN-IK-2000-398 is a fragment of an encrusting colony with a maximum cross-section of 62 x 38 mm wide, featuring densely placed knob-like lobes and lobules arranged in groups ( Fig. 41C ). The polyps are fully retracted and visible as small pits on the lobe surface.

The sclerome of the polyps includes platelets, 0.04–0.07 mm long, featuring a lateral irregular outline with a median constriction and slits; some sclerites resemble a figure eight ( Fig. 46A ). Their surface has a combined tuberculate and cristate-like texture. The sclerites of the surface of the lobes are poorly developed dumbbells, 0.07–0.08 mm long, with rounded tubercles ( Fig. 46B ). The dumbbells from the interior of the lobes are 0.07–0.10 mm long, featuring blunt-ended conical and occasionally pointed conical tubercles, separated by a bare waist, 0.02–0.03 mm wide and 0.01–0.03 mm long ( Fig. 46C ). The poorly developed dumbbell-sclerites of the colony base are 0.06–0.08 mm long, mostly with rounded tubercles ( Fig. 47A ). The dumbbells from the interior of the base are 0.09–0.10 mm long, featuring a bare waist, 0.02–0.03 mm wide and 0.01–0.02 mm long ( Fig. 47B ). The latter sclerites bear mostly blunt-ended conical tubercles and also some pointed conical ones.

Color. The dry MNHN-IK-2000- 398 holotype is beige-brown.

Remarks. The initial species assignment of L. prattae by Tixier-Durivault 1944b: 341–442) did not depict the morphological characters of the syntype colony. The morphological description was subsequently presented in the revision of the genus ( Tixier-Durivault 1948: 102–107, Figs. 94–99). This species is characterized by its tuberculate polyp plates and poorly developed dumbbells featuring rounded tubercles. The current examination of both the colony morphology and the sclerites of syntype MNHN-IK-2000-398 corresponds to the 1948’s description. The other syntype, MNHN-IK-2000-389 (not shown), resembles the first one, except for its size. No details are provided on the exact locality in the Red Sea where the syntype colonies were collected. The records of this species noted above need to be re-examined in order to validate their taxonomic assignment.

Distribution. Red Sea.

Figures

FIGURE 41. Images of Cladiella type colonies. A. Cladiella minuta (Tixier-Durivault, 1944), holotype, MNHN-IK-2000- 34. B. Cladiella pachyclados (Klunzinger, 1877), holotype, ZMB CNI 1874. C. Cladiella prattae (Tixier-Durivault, 1944), syntype, MNHN-IK-2000-398. D. Cladiella sphaerophora (Ehrenberg, 1834), holotype, ZMB Cni 294. E. Cladiella studeri (Tixier-Durivault, 1944), syntype, MNHN-IK-2000-390. F. Cladiella suezensis (Tixier-Durivault, 1944), syntype, MNHN-IK- 2000-41.

FIGURE 46. Cladiella prattae (Tixier-Durivault, 1944), syntype, MNHN-IK-2000-398. Scanning electron micrographs of sclerites of the colony top. A. Polyp sclerites. B. Poorly developed dumbbells of the surface of the lobes. C. Dumbbells from the interior of the lobes.

FIGURE 47. Cladiella prattae (Tixier-Durivault, 1944), syntype, MNHN-IK-2000-398. Scanning electron micrographs of sclerites of the colony base. A. Poorly developed dumbbells of the surface of the base. B. Dumbbells from the interior of the base.