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The Extant Scleractinian Corals of New Zealand

Family Guyniidae Hickson, 1910 — Genus Stenocyathus Pourtales, 1871 — Stenocyathus decamera n.sp. Pl. IV, figs. 2-6. Map symbol ⊠

Family Guyniidae Hickson, 1910

Genus Stenocyathus Pourtales, 1871

Stenocyathus decamera n.sp. Pl. IV, figs. 2-6. Map symbol ⊠

Types: Figured Holotype (Pl. 4, figs. 2, 3) deposited N.Z. Geological Survey, Wellington.

This is a small conical solitary coral, up to approximately 10 mm in height. The walls of the corallum and the costae are slightly imbricated. (Pl. IV. fig. 3.) A central columella of 1 or 2 curly (crispate) processes is present as well as six crispate pali which form a single crown.

There are five specimens in the present collection recognised here as belonging to this species. Three of them come from southern fiord waters and the remainder from east coast North Island waters. The largest specimen from the southern fiord is 9.0 mm in height with a calice 3.5 mm in diameter; the second specimen is slightly smaller and the third is tiny, only 3.0 mm in height and with a calice 1.5 mm in diameter. This tiny specimen, however, shows clearly the characteristic features of the species. It has a columella of a single process and 6 pali. The others show regeneration of a portion of the calice and a strong tendency for the pali and septa to be arranged in cycles of five, not six. The wall and costae are, however, similar to that described for the species.

One of the specimens from North Island waters is even smaller in size (2.5 mm in height) than the smallest southern fiord specimen, but it is easily recognisable as Stenocyathus decamera. The other specimen shows a series of three corallites each growing out of the one below. (Pl. IV, fig 6.) The proximal corallite attached by a slightly flaring base has a perpendicular height of 7.0 mm and a calice 5.0 mm in diameter; the medial is 9.0 mm in perpendicular height and has a calice 6.0 mm in diameter, and the distal corallite is approximately 1.0 mm above the rim of the medial corallite and has a calice diameter of 4.0 mm. All show an imbricated wall page 12and costae, but only a single very small columella process can be seen deep in the calice of the distal corallite and no pali. The septa number approximately 30 and do not correspond in number or completely match in position those of the medial corallite.

Occurrence: Off Shelter Island, Doubtful Sound, Westland, 73 fathoms. Three specimens taken alive (N.Z. Geological Survey). Off Mayor Island, Bay of Plenty, 80-120 fathoms. Taken alive. (Zoology Department, Victoria Univ.) Off Poor Knights Islands, 60 fathoms. Two specimens taken alive. (Auckland Museum, Coral Collection.)