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176
Dendropbyllio
Tubastrae4
micrantbus
micralltba
CoenopSilmmia nigrescens
Dendropbyllia nigrescens
1922a. v. d, HORST, 101 (synonymy),
1926, v. d . HORST, 43; pI. 216,7.
1952, CROSSLAND, 171 ; pis. 55 / 1; 56/ 1.
1954, ROSSI. 43 ; pI. 2/4.
1974, SCHEER & PILLAI, 63 ; pI. 29/ 3.
1980, HEAD, 153 , 470.
1971 , LOVA & SLOBODKIN, 125 .
1974, MERGNER & SCHUHMACHER, 265.
1860, MILNE EDWARDS (& HAIME ), 129; pI. E2/ 2a, b.
1846, DANA. 387; pI. 30/1. la- I (should b< pI. 27).
1918, VAUGHAN, 143 ; pI.60/ 1, Ia.
This arborescent species is represented in our material by several broken branches. The pieces are
10 to 15 cm high with a thickness of 12 to 17 mm at the main division . Main branches repeatedly dividing.
Corallites 5 to 6 mm in diameter, height 10 to 12 mm. Calices circular, corallites slightly expanding
towards the top. Depth 4 to 5 mm. Septa in three cycles, the tertiaries sometimes incomplete. There is
no visible fusion of septa. Primaries larger than secondaries. Third cycle often small. Twelve septa reach
the columella. Columella poorly developed. Costae conspicuous with transverse connections.
Material :
Gulf of Aqaba: Jerus. SLR 376- 1- 8 (Marsa Murach); 1384- 3 (Wadi Treibe); 1168- 1- 6 (Marsa
el Muqeibla).
T . Aviv NS 1369 (Eilat).
Northern R. S.: Jerus. SLR 817- 1- 3, 819b, 1926- 1, 2 (RasMuhammad).
HLM EC 434 (Ras Muhammad).
X2: 5- 1 (Ghardaqa).
Central R . S.: HLM X2: 7- 2 (Mayetib Is1.).
P. Sud. Sa 82, 83 (Sanganeb R.).
Dis t rib uti 0 n : Red Sea; Seychelles ; Aldabra; Mauritius; Mald ives; Ceylon ; Nicobar Isis. ; Cocos­
Keeling Isis.; Philippines; Japan; Palau Isis.; Great Barrier Reef; Fiji .
Rem a rk s: V. d . HORST ( 1922a) States that "there is no real difference between the species of DANA
(nigrescens) and that of EHRENBERG (micrantbus)". But CROSSLAND (1952) regards the two species as
quite distinct and gives differences between them. We follow v. d. HORST , until the genus has got a thorough
revision. We agree with ROSEN (1979) that Dendropbyllia micrantbus "is now regarded as a Tubastraea",
but it should be considered whether MI LNE EDWARDS and HAIME'sgeneric name Coenopsammia,
also used by KLUNZINGER , could be reintroduced.
Genus Turbinaria OKEN, 1815
Type species : Madrepora crater PALLAS, 1766.
G e n e ri c c h a r act e r s: Colonial, explanate, crateriform, sub massive or foliaceous. Corallites
united by a porous coenosteum. Surface with a well defi ned system of ridges and furrows. Corallites
range from 2 to 10 mm in diameter. Columella well developed.
EHRENBERG (1834) reported Turbinaria cinerascens from Red Sea. KLUNZINGER (1879) regarded
T. mesenterina LAMARCK as synonym to T. cinerascens and added T. conica. Moreover BERNARD (1896)
listed T. aspera from Red Sea. Subsequently MARENZELLER (1906) reported T. ebrenbergi and T. tenuis.
However, WAUGH (1936) made a field study of the Turbinaria of the Red Sea, which enabled her to state
that all the above mentioned six species of Turbinaria , reported from Red Sea, are one and the same, viz
T. mesenterina . The present specimens, numbering 30 , display wide skeletal va riation, but we treat them
under a single species as follows .
Turbinaria mesenterina (LAMARCK) , 1816
(Pl ate 41 , Figs. 9. 10)
Explonaria
mesentm rrQ
181 6 . LAMARCK, 255 (Type local ity : Indian Ocean; shown on pI. 19. fig. 60 in
MARENZELLER , 1906).