title: A new species ofMelithaea(Anthozoa, Octocorallia, Melithaeidae) from the Oman Sea, off Oman.
abstract: A new species,Melithaea davidisp. n., is described from the eastern coast of Oman, Oman Sea, in the northwestern Indian Ocean, where it differs from its congeners in lacking capstans and having predominantly spindles in the coenenchyme. A molecular phylogenetic analysis of mtMutS and 28S rDNA genes suggests that it is genetically distinct from similar species in the Red Sea. Furthermore, a species previously reported asAcabariasp. from the Arabian Sea is now identified asMelithaea mabahissi(Hickson, 1940).
authors.affiliation: Naturalis Biodiversity Center, PO Box 9517, 2300 RA Leiden, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Kaveh
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Samimi-Namin
authors.affiliation: Naturalis Biodiversity Center, PO Box 9517, 2300 RA Leiden, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Leen P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: van Ofwegen
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Harvey Mudd College, 1250 N. Dartmouth Ave., Claremont, CA 91711 USA.
authors.forename: Catherine S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: McFadden
keywords: Indian Ocean; Middle East; Persian Gulf; northwest Indian Ocean; octocorals