On some encrusting Xeniidae (Octocorallia): Re-examination of the type material of Sansibia flava (May, 1898) and a description of new taxa
Yehuda Benayahu, Merrick Ekins, Leen P. van Ofwegen, Kaveh Samimi‐Namin, Catherine S. McFadden
Abstract
The type of the xeniid soft coral Sansibia flava (May, 1898) is re-described for the first time and its morphological diagnosis is presented. A subsequent integrated analysis of molecular and morphological characters of related Xeniidae, including species indigenous to the Indo-Pacific Ocean and invasive in the Atlantic (Brazil), led to the description of a new Sansibia species, as well as two new genera comprising an additional three new species. All of these taxa are encrusting, with polyps arising directly from a spreading basal membrane. Molecular phylogenetic analyses show that these genera are not sister taxa, thus further emphasizing the remarkable phylogenetic diversity of xeniids with such a growth form. The sclerites of all species are uniformly ellipsoid platelets, abundant throughout the colony. The species exhibit restricted, non-overlapping geographic ranges, with distinct genotypes (molecular operational taxonomic units) found in different marine realms. The results emphasize the importance of re-examination of original old type material while applying molecular phylogenetic analyses in order to delineate species boundaries and to recognize biodiversity patterns.