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BalanophyIlia fistula—Yabe and Eguchi, 1942b: 141 [in part: ?pl. 12: fig.
15a,b).
Dendropkyllia gaditana.—Gums, 1979:181-182, pi. 36: figs. 5-10; 1984:25,
pi. 4: fig. I [synonymy].—Zibrowius, 1980:176-178, pi. 89: figs. A-N.—
Cairns and Keller, 1993:279-280 [synonymy].
DESCRIPTION.—The corallum consists of a relatively slender,
irregularly bent, cylindrical axial coral lite from which
smaller corallites bud at irregular intervals. Largest corallum
(ZMC, Okinose) only 53 mm long and bears 15 secondary
corallites or broken bases of corallites from the axial corallite
and 1 tertiary corallite that originates from a secondary. In only
one of the 17 coralla examined was there an example of
intratentacular budding. All coralla examined were free, with
no evidence of previous attachment to the substrate. Axial
corallites (and branches) 3.0-4.9 mm in diameter, secondary
corallites slightly smaller: 2.6-4.0 mm in diameter. Synapticulotheca
covered by a very thin, transparent epitheca, which
often extends to calicular edge and gives the theca a coarsely
granular porcellaneous texture. Theca porous only near calice.
Six Cl often slightly ridged, giving branches a polygonal cross
section. Corallum white.
Septa arranged in a Pourtales Plan of 3 cycles (24 septa) in
small corallites and up to 36 septa in larger corallites. S1
significantly exsert (0.5-0.6 mm), along with their adjacent
pairs of higher cycle septa, together forming 6 calicular apices
around calicular margin. S1 relatively thin and have vertical,
entire inner edges that attain the columella. In small corallites,
S2 are quite small, each flanked by a pair of larger S3 that fuse
before the S2 high in the fossa and extend to the columella as a
combined septum. In larger corallites each system contains 5,
not 3, septa, consisting of a medial S2, 1 wide S3 and 1 small
S3, the latter flanked by 2 wide S4 that fuse and extend to the
columella. Inner edges of S4 and those S3 that extend to the
columella laciniate. Fossa of moderate depth, containing a
rudimentary, spongy, nondiscrete (edges of columella merge
with inner septal edges) columella.
DISCUSSION.—Yabe and Eguchi were insightful when in
1942(e) they distinguished three forms of Balanophyllia
fistula, some of which occured at the same stations. One form
was solitary and heavily epithecate (their pi. 12: fig. 14), which
is described as Balanophyllia teres herein. The other forms
were colonial and non- or little epithecate (their pi. 12: figs. 15,
16). The colonial forms consist of two very similar species:
Eguchipsammia gaditana and E. wellsi, E. fistula being a much
more robust species with four full cycles of septa (Plate 36/,g).
E. gaditana differs from E. wellsi by having a spongy (not
honeycomb-shaped) and nondiscrete columella (the columellar
edges are not vertical, but merge directly with the inner septal
edges). Secondly, in E. gaditana pairs of S4 and some S3 fuse
high in the fossa and continue to the columella as a laciniate
septum. In E. wellsi, the S3 and S4 paired septa rarely if ever
fuse and they have entire inner edges. Thirdly, E. gaditana has
a very thin epitheca covering most of its synapticulotheca and
inconspicuous costae; E. wellsi has a costate theca, lacking an
epitheca. Finally, the coralla of E. gaditana are more delicate
than those of E. wellsi.
SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ZOOLOGY
Because the differences between E. gaditana and E. wellsi
are so subtle, all previously published records of Balanophyl-
HalDendrophyllia fistula from Japan should be re-examined for
a proper identification. This includes reports by: Yabe and
Eguchi (1932a, 1932b, 1936, 1941b, 1942b), Utinomi (1956,
1965), Kikuchi (1968), Eguchi (1968), and Eguchi and
Miyawaki(1975).
MATERIAL EXAMINED.—New Records: Okinose, Sagami
Bay, 110 m, Mortensen's 1914 Pacific Expedition, 16 coralla,
ZMC, 1, USNM 92894. Previous Records: Specimens
reported from Atlantic (Cairns, 1979; Zibrowius, 1980),
Hawaiian Islands (Cairns, 1984), and southwest Indian Ocean
(Cairns and Keller, 1993).
TYPES.—The holotype of B. gaditana is deposited at the BM
(1883.12.10.97). Type Locality: Porcupine-29: 36°20TSf,
6°47'W (Iberian-Morocco Gulf), 417 m.
DISTRIBUTION.—Off Japan: Sagami Bay, Honshu; ?Bungo
Strait, Shikoku (Soyo Maru-23\); Osumi Strait, southern
Kyushu; 110-188 m. Elsewhere: Widespread, including
Atlantic, southwestern Indian Ocean, Hawaiian Islands, Australia;
73-505 m.
Eguchipsammia wellsi (Eguchi, 1968), comb. nov.
PLATE 37a-c,g
Balanophyllia fistula—Eguchi, 1934:368.—Yabe and Eguchi, 1942b:141 [in
part: pi. 12: fig. 16a,b].
Dendrophylliafistula.—Eguchi, 1965:295 [in part: right fig.].
Dendrophyllia (Alcockia) wellsi Eguchi, 1968:C63-64.
DESCRIPTION.—Corallum shape identical to that of E.
gaditana, consisting of an axial corallite from which slightly
smaller secondary corallites bud at irregular intervals, although
E. wellsi is slightly more robust that E. gaditana, their axial
corallites being 4.5-5.1 mm in GCD and their secondaries
2.5-4.0 mm in GCD. Largest corallum (ZMC, Okinose) 74
mm in length and bears 8 secondary corallites. Tertiary
corallites and examples of intratentacular budding absent.
Synapticulotheca costate, with no evidence of an epitheca.
Costae equal in width (about 0.3 mm) and bear very fine, sharp
granules. Corallum white.
As in E. gaditana, septa hexamerally arranged in 3 to 4
cycles (up to 36 septa) in a Pourtales Plan. S1 slightly exsert
and have entire, vertical inner edges that attain the columella.
S2 of small corallites are small and flanked by a pair of S3, each
of which extends almost to the columella but do not quite fuse
with one another. In larger corallites having systems including
5 septa, there is a large S2, 1 even wider S3 that attains the
columella and another very small S3 that is flanked by a pair of
S4. Inner edges of each S4 pair within in a half-system bend
toward each other but do not quite meet. Inner edges of all septa
entire (i.e., smooth), not dentate or laciniate. Fossa of medium
depth, containing a discrete (a self-contained structure with
vertical edges, not merging imperceptibly with inner septal
edges) columella composed of small lamellae densely fused
into a honeycomb-like structure.
DISCUSSION.—Eguchipsammia wellsi is one of the three