Porites fontanesii Benzoni & Stefani, 2012

Dataset
GBIF Backbone Taxonomy: Rank
SPECIES: Published in
Benzoni, F., Stefani, F. Porites fontanesii, a new species of hard coral (Scleractinia, Poritidae) from the southern Red Sea, the Gulf of Tadjoura, and the Gulf of Aden, and its phylogenetic relationships within the genus. Zootaxa 3447: 56–68. (2012).

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Classification

kingdom
Animalia: phylum
Cnidaria: class
Anthozoa: order
Scleractinia: family
Poritidae: genus
Porites: species
Porites fontanesii

etymology

Etymology. This species is named after Prof. Marcello Fontanesi, Magnifico Rettore of the University of Milano-Bicocca.

materials_examined

Material examined. Holotype: MNHN-IK. 2009 - 834 Balhaf, Yemen (13 ° 58.228 ’ N; 48 ° 10.759 ’ E), 5 m, coll. F. Benzoni & M. Pichon, 20 / 09 / 2007, collection code BAL 085. Paratypes: MSNM COE 332 Al Mukallah (14 ° 31.059 ’ N; 49 ° 10.283 ’ E), 3.5 m coll. M. Pichon & F. Benzoni, 17 / 03 / 2007, collection code MU 003; UNIMIB Y 359 Balhaf (13 ° 58.163 ’ N; 48 ° 10.928 ’ E), 4 m, coll. F. Benzoni, 08 / 09 / 05 (GenBank accession number HE 585991). Other material: Yemen Red Sea UNIMIB KA 022 Kamaran Island (15 ° 21.988 ’ N; 42 ° 37.540 ’ E) F. Benzoni & A. Caragnano, 28 / 09 / 2009; KA 170 Al Badi' (15 ° 29.573 ’; 42 ° 32.109 ’ E) 02 / 10 / 2009; Djibouti TO-DJ 030, Ras Ali, Gulf of Tadjoura, (11 ° 46.354 ’ N; 42 ° 57.286 ’ E), 7 m, coll. F. Benzoni, 28 / 01 / 2010; TO-DJ 079, Oblal, Gulf of Tadjoura, (11 ° 48.677 ’ N; 43 ° 3.427 ’ E), 8 m, coll. F. Benzoni, 29 / 01 / 2010; TO-DJ 134, Musha, Gulf of Tadjoura, (11 ° 44.623 ’ N; 43 ° 10.116 ’ E), 10 m, coll. F. Benzoni, 31 / 01 / 2010; Ye m e n G u lf o f Ade n UNIMIB Y 358 Balhaf (13 ° 58.163 ’ N; 48 ° 10.928 ’ E) coll. F. Benzoni, 08 / 09 / 05 (GenBank accession number HE 585990); Y 360 Balhaf (13 ° 58.163 ’ N; 48 ° 10.928 ’ E) coll. F. Benzoni, 08 / 04 / 06 (GenBank accession number HE 585992); Y 694 Balhaf (13 ° 58.402 ’ N; 48 ° 12.410 ’ E) coll. F. Benzoni, 10 / 03 / 08; BAL 015 Balhaf (13 ° 58.331 ’ N; 48 ° 11.164 ’ E) coll. M. Pichon & F. Benzoni, 04 / 03 / 2007; BAL 042 (13 ° 58.865 ’ N; 48 ° 10.611 ’ E) coll. F. Benzoni 20 / 05 / 2007; BAL 044 (13 ° 58.865 ’ N; 48 ° 10.611 ’ E) coll. M. Pichon & F. Benzoni 16 / 09 / 2007; BAL 069 Balhaf (13 ° 58.228 ’ N; 48 ° 10.759 ’ E) coll. M. Pichon & F. Benzoni, 20 / 09 / 2007; BAL 108 Balhaf (13 ° 58.228 ’ N; 48 ° 10.759 ’ E) coll. M. Pichon & F. Benzoni, 20 / 09 / 2007; BAL 175 b Balhaf (13 ° 58.163 ’ N; 48 ° 10.928 ’ E) coll. M. Pichon & F. Benzoni, 22 / 09 / 2007; BAL 250 Balhaf (13 ° 58.444 ’ N; 48 ° 11.560 ’ E) coll. M. Pichon & F. Benzoni, 23 / 09 / 2007; MU 027 Al Mukallah (14 ° 31.059 ’ N; 49 ° 10.283 ’ E) coll. M. Pichon, F. Benzoni & C. Riva, 17 / 03 / 2007; MU 091 Al Mukallah (14 ° 30.923 N; 49 ° 9.254 E) coll. M. Pichon & F. Benzoni, 17 / 03 / 2007; BA 092 Sikha Island (13 ° 55,775 N; 48 ° 23,219 E) 8 m, coll. F. Benzoni & S. Montano, 21 / 11 / 2008 (GenBank accession number HE 585993); Socotra Island UNIMIB SO 057 Araher (12 ° 34.942 ’ N; 54 ° 26.004 ’ E), 18 m, coll. F. Benzoni & A. Caragnano, 13 / 03 / 2010; SO 114 Ras Qadamah (12 ° 41.902 ’ N; 53 ° 39.682 ’ E) 10 m, coll. F. Benzoni & A. Caragnano 17 / 03 / 2010; SMF (housed at EPA Socotra) C 90 S, ST- 145 W Ras Momi, 02 / 04 / 1999; C 325 S, ST- 738 Medina, 18 / 04 / 2000. Skeletal characteristics of the holotype. The holotype (Fig. 1) is part of a large colony (Fig. 1 a). The fragment is 9 cm long, 4.5 cm wide, and 2.5 cm thick. It is characterized by an encrusting base from which three taller digitations and one shorter digitiform non-anastomosing projections develop. Digitations tips are rounded (Fig. 1 A – C). Corallite density over the corallum surface is 50 – 66 corallites / cm 2 (Fig. 1 C – D). Corallites are flush with the coenosteum, although they tend be slightly sunken at the base of the digitations. They are separated by coarsely ornamented coenosteum and can be locally arranged in short series 3 to 6 corallites long (Fig. 1 D). Collines, or ridges, are not present. Calice diameter ranges from 0.9 to 1 mm. A columella is absent. The typical septa arrangement of the genus Porites is observed with 12 septa arranged in four lateral pairs, one dorsal septum and three ventral septa (Fig. 1 E; Fig. 2 A – B). The dorsal septum is shorter than other septa (larger arrows in Fig. 2 B) and the synapticulae connecting it to one of the two lateral pairs, or both, can be more or less visible from the top (smaller arrows in Fig. 2 B). The ventral triplet is fused (Fig. 2 B). Five large pali are normally present in corallites, four in front of the four lateral pairs of septa, and one in front of the ventral triplet (Fig. 2 B). No palus is found in front of the short dorsal septum. Upper septal margins carry 1 finely ornamented denticle (Fig. 2). The innermost circle of synapticulae connecting the pali is visible and can be thin (Fig. 2 A – C) or thick (Fig. 2 D – F). In some corallites it can be so thick to resemble a hollow columellar structure (Fig. 2 E – F). In these corallites an irregular fusion of the ventral triplet can be observed (Fig. 2 F), and two smaller pali or no palus at all can be found in front of it. Variability. The study of the type series and of the other collected specimens showed that although a digitate colony developing from an encrusting base is typical of Porites fontanesii sp. nov., a certain degree of variability of the digitations upper ends diameter and shape is observed. These can be circular to oval in section (Fig. 4) with thickness ranging from 1 to 4 cm. In larger colonies digitations tend to fan out and occasionally branch (Fig. 3 A – D, Fig. 4 C – G). Corallite organization over the colony surface is the same as the type material throughout the whole collection. However, although corallites are generally flush with the coenosteum, in certain specimens they can be more sunken in certain parts of the corallum, typically towards the base of the digitations. At the corallite level, calice diameter, septal plan, and number of pali and denticles are consistent with the type series. In some specimens the denticles can be more visible (Fig. 4 J) than in others (Fig. 4 D). When this happens, the small corallites are more easily visible to the naked eye and attain a flower-like appearance (Fig. 4 J). The character showing the highest within and between specimens variability is the thickness of the innermost cycle of synapticulae (Fig. 2). When the synapticulae connecting proximal ends of the septa are thicker the species typical pattern of septal fusion can be less easily visible (Fig. 2 D – F). FIGURE 1 Holotype of Porites fontanesii sp. nov. (MNHN-IK. 2009 - 834) (A) In vivo image of the whole colony; (B) The holotype; (C) Detail of a digitation of the holotype typical of the species; (D) Close up of C showing smooth colony surface, regular corallite arrangement and coenosteum; (E) Detail of D showing the corallite septal plan. Field characteristics and identification. Porites fontanesii sp. nov. forms colonies ranging from a few centimeters to 50 cm in diameter and is found between 5 and 15 m depth. The corallum base is usually encrusting and from it digitations of variable thickness and height develop (Fig. 3 A – D). In larger colonies branching can be observed. Digitations and branches tend to fan out (Fig. 3 A – D). Polyps are usually extended during the day (Fig. 3 D, F). When these are retracted the smooth surface of the corallum (Fig 3 E) and the corallites separated by the coenosteum (Fig 3 G) are visible. Colour ranges from grey or pale beige to light brown, and polyps are typically extended during the day. (Fig. 3 C – D).

Name

Homonyms: Porites fontanesii Benzoni & Stefani, 2012

Bibliographic References

Benzoni, F., Stefani, F. 2012. Porites fontanesii, a new species of hard coral (Scleractinia, Poritidae) from the southern Red Sea, the Gulf of Tadjoura, and the Gulf of Aden, and its phylogenetic relationships within the genus. Zootaxa 3447: 56–68.