The Extant Scleractinian Corals of New Zealand

Corals Recorded from New Zealand

Corals Recorded from New Zealand

It is our intent here to discuss four species of coral which have been recorded from New Zealand, but are not represented in collections, seen by the present authors. Two of the records are of unnamed species, and a third is, possibly, the result of mixing of collections and, therefore, probably an erroneous record.

Family Micrabaciidae Vaughan, 1905

Genus Stephanophyllia Michelin, 1841

Stephanophyllia formosissima Moseley, 1881

1881. Stephanophyllia formosissima Moseley, p. 201, Pl. 13, figs. 6, 7; Pl. 16, figs. 8, 9.

Wells (1958, p. 263) recorded a single, young specimen of this species as existing in the British Museum (Natural History) (B.M. 52-5-10-1). The specimen is reported to have been collected by Hugh Cummings, from New Zealand, but has no data with it.

Family Flabellidae Bourne, 1905

Genus Gardineria Vaughan, 1907

Gardineria sp.

Gardiner (1928) referred three specimens collected from Terra Nova station 96 (Three Kings Island, 70 fathoms) and a single specimen from station 90 (Three Kings Island, 100 fathoms) to this genus. He comments that they differ from G. lillei Gardiner, and Antarctic species, in the more complete insertion of the fourth cycle of septa. He also notes that the edges of the septa are much twisted, and that the septa bear low, blunt spines laterally.