Cyphastreakausti sp. n. (Cnidaria, Anthozoa, Scleractinia), a new species of reef coral from the Red Sea.
A new scleractinian coral species, Cyphastreakausti sp. n., is described from 13 specimens from the Red Sea. It is characterised by the presence of eight primary septa, unlike the other species of the genus, which have six, ten or 12 primary septa. The new species has morphological affinities with Cyphastreamicrophthalma, from which it can be distinguished by the lower number of septa (on average eight instead of ten), and smaller calices and corallites. This species was observed in the northern and central Red Sea and appears to be absent from the southern Red Sea.
Red Sea Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Jessica
J
Bouwmeester
Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 2, Milan, Italy.
Francesca
F
Benzoni
ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia.
Andrew H
AH
Baird
Red Sea Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Michael L
ML
Berumen
KAUST; Merulinidae; Saudi Arabia; biodiversity; coral reef; taxonomy