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Type: Article
Published: 2020-05-25
Page range: 324–340
Abstract views: 201
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Two new species of the genus Chironephthya (Octocorallia, Alcyonacea, Nidaliidae, Siphonogorgiinae) from the Gulf of Thailand

Wakayama Laboratory, Biological Institute on Kuroshio, 300-11 Kire, Wakayama City, Wakayama 640-0351, Japan
Reef Biology Research Group, Department of Marine Science, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
Reef Biology Research Group, Department of Marine Science, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand.
Molecular Invertebrate Systematics and Ecology Laboratory, Graduate School of Engineering and Science, University of the Ryukyus, 1 Senbaru, Nishihara, Okinawa 903-0123, Japan.
Molecular Invertebrate Systematics and Ecology Laboratory, Graduate School of Engineering and Science, University of the Ryukyus, 1 Senbaru, Nishihara, Okinawa 903-0123, Japan Tropical Biosphere Research Center, University of the Ryukyus, 1 Senbaru, Nishihara, Okinawa 903-0123, Japan
Department of Zoology, National Museum of Nature and Science, 4-1-1 Amakubo, Tsukuba City, Ibaraki 305-0005, Japan
Coelenterata Chironephthya sirindhornae sp. nov. C. cornigera sp. nov. new species common base Octocorallia Nidaliidae Siphonogorgiinae Gulf of Thailand

Abstract

Two new species of the genus Chironephthya, C. sirindhornae sp. nov. and C. cornigera sp. nov., are described based on three specimens collected from the Gulf of Thailand. Both species are well distinguished from the previously described species of the genus Chironephthya by their colonies consisting of multiple stems that stand upright from a common base, and by a significantly thinner canal wall without large spindles. As a result of phylogenetic analyses using COI, mtMutS, and 28S rDNA sequences of these two species, these three specimens constituted an independent small clade within a large mixed clade of Siphonogorgia and Chironephthya, with the two species slightly different from each other. The discrepancy in the morphology suggested the erection of a new genus to accommodate these species, however, as the subclade was included in a large mixed clade of Siphonogorgia and Chironephthya, we place these species within genus Chironephthya. Our results further highlight the continuing confusion between Siphonogorgia and Chironephthya, and demonstrate the need for taxonomic revision of these genera.

 

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