ZooKeys
Info
Info in advance:
No information is available on the living characteristics of the soft coral Ofwegenum colli, which was first described in 2024, so the following data refer to preserved colony parts.
For the same reason, exact size data of the coral is also missing.
However, it is known that the soft coral was found on a silty bottom, on a dead coral.
Etymology:
The genus name "Ofwegenum" (gender: neuter) honors the late Dr. Leendert Pieter van Ofwegen (1953-2021), a close friend and important octocoral taxonomist (Hoeksema 2021), in memory of his fruitful contribution to the knowledge of this group.
Etymology:
The species name "colli" is named after the collector of the material, Prof. John Coll of James Cook University in North Queensland, a renowned chemical ecologist who made an important contribution to the knowledge of soft corals.
The holotype is a fragment of a colony measuring 14 x 13 mm. The polypus extends over a 2 mm thick, spreading, crust-like base. The surface of the polyparium shows some grooves, and the contracted polyps with a diameter of up to 1 mm are visible as low mounds.
The coenenchyma has sclerites in the form of spindles (with conical ends) and rods (with blunt ends) up to 0.50 mm long, with low, simple tubercles or areas of thickening forming concentric raised rings. The polyp body contains similar but shorter rods that appear to be arranged "en chevron" when the polyps are extended. The size of the sclerites decreases along the polyp body towards the base of the tentacles.
The tentacles and leaflets contain numerous platelets and flattened rods (i.e. finger biscuits), up to 0.10 mm long, arranged on the aboral side of the tentacles. Some of these sclerites have lateral median constrictions, lateral notches or depressions at one or both ends resembling a figure eight, and some have bulbous ends resembling bone.
Color: The colony preserved in ethanol is cream colored.
Literature reference:
McFadden CS, Benayahu Y, Samimi-Namin K (2024) A new genus of soft coral (Octocorallia, Malacalcyonacea, Cladiellidae) and three new species from Indo-Pacific coral reefs. ZooKeys 1188: 275-304. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1188.110617
No information is available on the living characteristics of the soft coral Ofwegenum colli, which was first described in 2024, so the following data refer to preserved colony parts.
For the same reason, exact size data of the coral is also missing.
However, it is known that the soft coral was found on a silty bottom, on a dead coral.
Etymology:
The genus name "Ofwegenum" (gender: neuter) honors the late Dr. Leendert Pieter van Ofwegen (1953-2021), a close friend and important octocoral taxonomist (Hoeksema 2021), in memory of his fruitful contribution to the knowledge of this group.
Etymology:
The species name "colli" is named after the collector of the material, Prof. John Coll of James Cook University in North Queensland, a renowned chemical ecologist who made an important contribution to the knowledge of soft corals.
The holotype is a fragment of a colony measuring 14 x 13 mm. The polypus extends over a 2 mm thick, spreading, crust-like base. The surface of the polyparium shows some grooves, and the contracted polyps with a diameter of up to 1 mm are visible as low mounds.
The coenenchyma has sclerites in the form of spindles (with conical ends) and rods (with blunt ends) up to 0.50 mm long, with low, simple tubercles or areas of thickening forming concentric raised rings. The polyp body contains similar but shorter rods that appear to be arranged "en chevron" when the polyps are extended. The size of the sclerites decreases along the polyp body towards the base of the tentacles.
The tentacles and leaflets contain numerous platelets and flattened rods (i.e. finger biscuits), up to 0.10 mm long, arranged on the aboral side of the tentacles. Some of these sclerites have lateral median constrictions, lateral notches or depressions at one or both ends resembling a figure eight, and some have bulbous ends resembling bone.
Color: The colony preserved in ethanol is cream colored.
Literature reference:
McFadden CS, Benayahu Y, Samimi-Namin K (2024) A new genus of soft coral (Octocorallia, Malacalcyonacea, Cladiellidae) and three new species from Indo-Pacific coral reefs. ZooKeys 1188: 275-304. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1188.110617
