Imahara, Y.; Chavanich S.; Viyakarn, V.; Kushida, Y.; Reimer, J.D.; Fujita, T. (2020). Two new species of the genus Chironephthya (Octocorallia, Alcyonacea, Nidaliidae, Siphonogorgiinae) from the Gulf of Thailand. Zootaxa. 4780 (2): 324–340.
Two new species of the genus Chironephthya (Octocorallia, Alcyonacea, Nidaliidae, Siphonogorgiinae) from the Gulf of Thailand
Zootaxa
4780 (2): 324–340
Publication
Two new species of the genus Chironephthya, C. sirindhornae sp. nov. and C. cornigera sp. nov., are described based on
three specimens collected from the Gulf of Thailand. Both species are well distinguished from the previously described
species of the genus Chironephthya by their colonies consisting of multiple stems that stand upright from a common
base, and by a significantly thinner canal wall without large spindles. As a result of phylogenetic analyses using COI,
mtMutS, and 28S rDNA sequences of these two species, these three specimens constituted an independent small clade
within a large mixed clade of Siphonogorgia and Chironephthya, with the two species slightly different from each other.
The discrepancy in the morphology suggested the erection of a new genus to accommodate these species, however, as the
subclade was included in a large mixed clade of Siphonogorgia and Chironephthya, we place these species within genus
Chironephthya. Our results further highlight the continuing confusion between Siphonogorgia and Chironephthya, and
demonstrate the need for taxonomic revision of these genera.