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120
Plesiastrata
Goniastrell
Astrat!IJ
faws
baeckeli
solida
spongia
1879, KLUNZINGER 3, 85, pis. 414,1017 .
1888, ORTMANN, 173.
1906, v. MAREN ZE LLE R, 86.
1878, BRUEGGEMANN. 396, pI. 712 •. b.
1857, MILN E EDWAR DS (II< HAIME ), « •.
1914, MATTHAI, 117: pis. lOl l : 2813.4: 3116: H I' , 3813 (synonymy).
1834, EHRENBERG, 320.
During the present work we studied eight specimens of this species from Red Sea. RM 91 is almost
typical as described by MATTHAI (1914). The coraLiites are polygonal, 3 to 4 mm long , 2 to 3 mm broad.
Wall solid but acute (0 .5 mm thick). 8 to 11 major septa, each with a large paliform lobe unite to the
columella. T he alternating subsidary septa are small.
The rest of the specimens shows almost the same details. The polygonal corallites are 4 to 5 mm long,
about 4 mm broad . The intercorallite walls are up to 1 mm thick. 12 to 14 sepra reach the columella. In
some calices the pali are very conspicuous on the major septa, but in others they are poorly developed.
These specimens agree to Goniastrea salida as described by MATTHAI (= G. parvistella VAUGHAN and
G. edwardsi CHEVALIER).
Material :
Gulf of Aqaba : HLM EC 46 1 (Eilat).
Central R. S.: P. Sud. Sa 6, 45 (Sanganeb R.).
HLM RM 84,85,86,91 (Wingate R.).
Southern R. S.: HLM X2 : 9- 19 (Sarso Isl. ).
D is t r ib uti 0 n : A common and widespread Indo-Pacific species recorded from almost a ll reefs from
Red Sea to Samoa.
R e m a r k s: One of us reached the conclusion as early as 1969, based on a fie ld study of this species
from Minicoy (PILLAI, 1971) where it is abundant in lagoon often forming extensive shoals, that G. salida
MATTHAI is only a skeletal variation of G. reti[ormis. According to VAUG HA (1918) MATTHAl's G.
solida should be G. parvistella (DA A) . CHEVALIER (1971) opined that G. parvistella is the same as
G. reti[ormis, while G. salida is the sa me as G. edwardsi. VERO , PI CHON & WI)SMA N-BEST (1977)
placed G. parvistella under the synony my of G. edwardsi and recognized the latter as valid species. We
do agree that some specimens could be labelled G. edwardsi which shows va riations from G. reti[o rmis.
However, we do not believe that they are genetically different. These are only skeletal variations.
Goniastrea pectinata (EHREN BERG), 1834
(Plate 29, Figs. 7. 8 ; PiaU' 30. Figs. 2, 3)
Astraea
Goniastrea
pectinata 1834. EHRENBERG . ]20 (Type iocaJi(y: Red Sea) ,
pectmata 1897, KLUNZINGER 3. 34; pI. 4/6.
1906. v. MAR ENZELLER, 86.
19 14, MA TTHAI, 120; pis. 28/6 ; 37/ 1 (synonymy).
1952. CROSSLAND, 135 .
1954, ROSSI, H, pI. 213.
1967. SCHEER, 4lZ.
1971, LOVA II< SLOBODKIN, 12 • .
1971. CHEVALIER, 246 (pars); pis. 27/ 3, 4 ; 30/ 1. 3, 4. 6; 32/1 (synonymy).
1972, WIJSf\.tAN·8EST. 41; pI. 9/ 1- 3.
1974, MERGN ER II< SCHUHMA CHER, 265.
1974, SC HEER II< PI LLAI , 50.
1976, PILLAI II< SCHEER . 58.
1977, VERON, PI CHON II< WljSMAN·BEST, 87: figs. 168- 172. 450.
1980, HEAD, 152, 458.
1977. VERON, PICHON & WIJSMAN-BEST, 83 ; figs. 157- 163 (synonymy).
asp~
equ j~pla
fauillus
d , /avillus
incruSfarlS
1959. NEMENZO. 101 ; pI. 1011.
1972. WIJSMAN·BEST, 10: pI. 91' .
1977, VERON. PI CHON & Wl]SMAN-BEST, 86 ; figs. 164- 167.
1889, DUNCAN, 11 ; pI. 1119, 20.
1924. MATIHAI. 21 ; pis. 2/ 4 ; 1114.