Astrogorgia arborea Ramvilas & Alderslade & Ranjeet 2023, new comb.

Astrogorgia arborea (Thomson & Simpson, 1909) new comb.

Muricella arborea Thomson & Simpson, 1909: 255–257, pl. 3, fig. 1&5; pl. 8, fig. 18 (Arakan coast).

Opinion: This species does occur in the region but was originally misidentified.

Justification:

These Indian records seem to be either invalid or unconfirmable: Fernando 2011: 77, pl. 51, fig. 1–1c (Cuddalore) as Acanthomuricea arborea (Thomson & Simpson, 1909); Fernando et al. 2017: 167, pl. 76, fig. 1–1c (Cuddalore) as Acanthomuricea arborea.

Literature analysis: Originally described from the Arakan coast (Bay of Bengal) as a member of the genus Muricella, this species has retractile polyps and is considered to be a species of Astrogorgia. It was reassigned to Acanthomuricea by Grasshoff (2000: 76), which is a synonym of Astrogorgia. Fernando (2011) adopted Grasshoff’s reassignment, which was repeated in Fernando et al. (2017). However, their description of the arrangement of the calyx sclerites as being “obliquely placed” differs from that in the original where they were said to be arranged in a “definite manner” in 8 en chevron rows becoming almost longitudinal at the calyx rim. The original colony had white sclerites, but that of Fernando (2011) and Fernando et al. (2017) has red sclerites.