Callogorgia versluysi

Callogorgia versluysi (Thomson, 1905)

Primnoa ellisii Thomson & Henderson, 1905: 289 (off Galle and the Andaman Sea).

Caligorgia versluysi Thomson, 1905: 172–175, pl. figs. 6, 15. (off Galle and the Andaman Sea).

Callogorgia versluysi Bayer 1982: 122 (in key).

Not Primnoa ellisii von Koch, 1887: 86–90, text fig. 5a; pl. 1, fig 8; pl. 3, fig 5; Pl. 7, figs. 37–38 (Mediterranean).

Opinion: This species does occur in the region.

Justification:

These Indian records seem to be either invalid or unconfirmable: Fernando 2011: 130–131, pl. 94, fig. 1–1e (Kanyakumari), Fernando et al. 2017: 306, pl. 144, fig. 1–1h (Kanyakumari).

Literature analysis: In 1905, Thomson & Henderson reported on a collection of octocorals collected by Professor Herdman in the vicinity of the Sri Lankan pearl oyster fisheries in the Gulf of Mannar and identified a specimen from that collection and one from the Andamans obtained by the Investigator as Primnoa ellisii von Koch, a Mediterranean species. Following the publishing of that paper, Versluys looked at the primnoids and advised the authors that von Koch’s species was the same as “ Caligorgia verticillata Pallas ” and that the Sri Lankan specimen was actually a new species of “ Caligorgia ”. Thomson (1905) then erected the new species “ Caligorgia versluysi ” for the Sri Lankan specimen, which is now accepted as being in the genus Callogorgia of which Caligorgia (sensu Wright & Studer, 1889) is a junior synonym. Thomson provided a drawing of a colony and of a single polyp, but no sclerites.

The descriptions of the Indian material by Fernando (2011) and Fernando et al. (2017) are identical but clearly do not represent this species. From Thomson’s figure, the polyp body scales of Callogorgia versluysi have a distal margin that is only slightly toothed, the opercular scales seem to be shaped like an isosceles triangle, and the coenenchymal sclerites are broad, perhaps polygonal, scales. In Fernando (2011) and Fernando et al. (2017) the body scales have pronounced ridges forming a dentate margin (like those figured by von Koch for Primnoa ellisii), the apex of the operculars is thick and elongated, and the coenenchymal sclerites are elongate and irregular, some branched.