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NUMBER 557 89
Dendrophyllia Blainville, 1830
DIAGNOSIS.—See Part 1.
DISCUSSION.—Of the 25-30 Recent species of Dendrophyllia,
three basic growth forms can be discerned, (1) tall,
arborescent colonies, often flabellate, having several larger
axial corallites from which short corallites bud in an irregular
manner, (2) small, bushy colonies that also have axial
corallites, each bearing relatively few, large corallites, and (3)
large, dendroid colonies with fairly regular, sympodial branching,
the terminal corallite of each branch being replaced by each
successive corallite. The type-species, D. ramea (Linnaeus,
1758), and four other species (D. cribrosa Milne Edwards and
Haime, 1851; D. minuscula Bourne, 1905; D. ijimai Yabe and
Eguchi, 1934; and D. indica Pillai, 1967) are characteristic of
the first form, termed the "axial" group. Species belonging to
the second ("bushy") group include: D. cornigera (Lamarck,
1816); D. japonica Rehberg, 1892; D. arbuscula (Van der
Horst, 1922); D. cladonia Van der Horst, 1927; D. horsti
(Gardiner and Waugh, 1939), and several others. The third
"sympodial" group consists of: D. alternata Pourtales, 1880;
D. florulenta Alcock, 1902; D. oldroydae Oldroyd, 1924; D.
boschmai Van der Horst, 1926; D. dilatata Van der Horst,
1927; D. californica Durham, 1947; D. alcocki (Wells, 1954);
and D. johnsoni Cairns, 1991a. All species of Dendrophyllia
are herein characterized by having a single basal branch from
which all subsequent branching occurs. Two species that were
previously listed in Dendrophyllia, both of which bud from a
common basal coenosteum, are herein considered to belong to
Cladopsammia: C. gracilis (Milne Edwards and Haime,
1848b) and C. eguchii (Wells, 1982). Likewise, several other
species are transferred from Dendrophyllia to Eguchipsammia
based on their quasicolonial, unattached growth form: E.
gaditana (Duncan, 1873); E. cornucopia (Pourtales, 1871); E.
fistula (Alcock, 1902); E. serpentine (Vaughan, 1907); and E.
oahensis (Vaughan, 1907).
Dendrophyllia ijimai Yabe and Eguchi, 1934
PLATE 38C./
Dendrophyllia ijimai Yabe and Eguchi, 1934a:2026 — Eguchi, 1965:294. 2
figs.; 1968:C65, pi. C16: figs. 1, 2; pi. C22: fig. 1; pi. C30: figs. 4, 5
[synonymy].—Kikuchi, 1968:9, pi. 15: fig. 2.—Eguchi and Miyawaki,
1975:54.—Cairns and Keller, 1993:280, fig. 13c.
Dendrophyllia micranthus.—Eguchi, 1965:294. 1 fig; 1968:C66. pi. C24: figs.
2, 3.—?Utinomi, 1965:256-257; 1971:219-220.—Not Kikuchi. 1968:9, pi.
5: fig. 10.—Not Eguchi and Miyawaki, 1975:54, pi. 7: fig. 1.—Not Song.
1991:137, pi. 1: fig. 6; pi. 3: fig. 2.
Dendrophyllia minuscula— Utinomi, 1965:257.—?Eguchi. 1968:C60-61.—
Tribble and Randall, 1986:159.
DESCRIPTION.— Corallum composed of elongate, relatively
straight axial coralites, circular in cross section, and gradually
attenuating in diameter to terminal calices 6-7 mm in diameter.
Numerous stout corallites bud perpendicular and in all
directions from the axial corallite, usually only 3-9 mm in
height and 5-6 mm in diameter. Costae well defined, 0.3-0.4
mm wide, and separated by deep, porous intercostal furrows
about 0.15 mm wide. Costae bear 1, sometimes 2, rows of small
pointed granules. Corallum white.
Septa hexamerally arranged in 4 cycles (48 septa) in a
Pourtales Plan. S, largest septa and have vertical, straight,
entire inner edges that reach the columella. S2 only about half
width of an St and have laciniate inner edges. S3 rudimentary
and also have laciniate inner edges. S4 equal in width to an S3
near calice but lower in fossa each pair of S4 are fused before its
adjacent S3 and extended toward columella where it unites with
the other combined S4 within the system before the common S2
near the columella. Inner edges of S4 highly laciniate. Axial
corallites differ from the more numerous lateral corallites in
being slightly larger and having correspondingly more septa
(some S5), having a deeper fossa, and lacking the final S4
fusion before the S2- Fossa of lateral corallites of moderate
depth and contains a small, spongy columella.
DISCUSSION.—As stated in the genus discussion, four other
species are recognized in the same group (axial) of Dendrophyllia
species as D. ijimai, only one of which occurs in the
Japanese region: D. cribrosa. Dendrophyllia ijimai is distinguished
from that species by have nonanastomotic branches
and exsert corallites (not flush with the coenosteum).
The axial corallite growth form of D. ijimai is similar to that
of Tubastraea micranthus, with which it has been confused.
Tubastraea micranthus can be distinguished by having
normally arranged septa; D. ijimai has a Pourtales Plan.
MATERIAL EXAMINED.—New Records: Moroisa, Sagami
Bay, 55 m, 2 colonies, USNM 92872,1 colony, ORI; off Japan,
1 colony, USNM 92874; TM (KT9202, YT1), 1 colony, USNM
92873; Misaki, Sagami Bay, 55 m, Mortensen's 1914 Pacific
Expedition of 1914, 5 colonies, ZMC.
TYPES.—The types of D. ijimai have not been traced. Type
Locality: Unknown, but presumed to be off Japan.
DISTRIBUTION.—Japan: Sagami Bay and Izu Peninsula,
Honshu; off Kii Peninsula; Osumi Shoto, northern Ryukyu
Islands; Amakusa Islands; north of Cheju Do, South Korea,
East China Sea; 10-200 m. Elsewhere: Western Indian
Ocean (Cairns and Keller, 1993), 37-366 m.
Dendrophyllia cribrosa Milne Edwards and Haime, 1851
PLATE 3%g,h
Dentipora crihrosa Blainville, 1830:348 [nomen nudum]; 1834:382 [nomen
nudum].
Dentipora anastomozans Blainville, 1830:348 [nomen nudum]; 1834:382
[nomen nudum].
Oculina anastomozans Blainville, 1830:348 [nomen nudum]; 1834:382
[nomen nudum].
Dendrophyllia sp.—Milne Edwards and Haime, 1850b: 137.
Dendrophyllia crihrosa Milne Edwards and Haime, 1851:137; 1860: 117-
118.—Van der Horst, 1922:52-53, pi. 7: fig. 2.—Eguchi, 1965:295, 1 fig.;
1968:C58-59 [but not second paragraph], pi. C2: fig. 2; pi. C21: figs. 3,
4.—Hamada: 1969:255-257. pi. 1: fig. la-e; pi. 2: figs. 2, 3.—?Song,
1982:139. pi. 3: figs. 9. 10; 71988:29. pi. 3: figs. 1-8; 71991:137.
?Dendrophyllia anastomozans—Monod, 1950:60; 1954:226-230. text-figs.
6-10, pi. I: figs. 1-3.—Chevalier, 1966:1379-1382, text-fig. 30.
REDESCRIPTION OF LARGER SYNTYPE (RMNH 9212).—
Corallum 15 cm wide and 12 cm in height, essential planar in