A revision of the octocoral genus Ovabunda Alderslade, 2001 (Anthozoa,Octocorallia, Xeniidae) |
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| Authors: | Anna Halász Catherine S. McFadden Dafna Aharonovich Robert Toonen Yehuda Benayahu |
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| Affiliation: | 1.Department of Zoology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel ; 2.Department of Biology, Harvey Mudd College, 1250 N. Dartmouth Ave., Claremont, CA 91711, USA ; 3.Hawai’i Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 46-007 Lilipuna Road, Kane’ohe, HI 96744, USA |
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| Abstract: | The family Xeniidae (Octocorallia) constitutes an abundant benthic component on many Indo-West Pacific coral reefs and is ecologically important in the Red Sea. The genus Ovabunda Alderslade, 2001 was recently established to accommodate previous Xenia species with sclerites comprised of a mass of minute corpuscle-shaped microscleres. The aim of the present study was to examine type material of Xenia species in order to verify their generic affiliation. We present here a comprehensive account of the genus Ovabunda, using scanning electron microscopy to depict sclerite microstructure. We assign three Xenia species to the genus: O. ainexcomb. n., O. goharicomb. n., and O. crenatacomb. n.; and synonymize several other species of Ovabunda. We provide a key to Ovabunda species and conclude that they are mainly confined to the Red Sea, with some occurrence in the West Indian Ocean. |
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| Keywords: | Red Sea sclerite microstructure taxonomy Xenia |
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