Abstract
A new species, Melithaea davidi sp. 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 as Acabaria sp. from the Arabian Sea is now identified as Melithaea mabahissi (Hickson, 1940).
Highlights
Melithaeidae, one of the 49 presently recognized families of octocorals (Ofwegen and McFadden 2010; McFadden and Ofwegen 2012, 2013; Breedy et al 2012), has only two valid genera (Reijnen et al 2014) and numerous species distributed worldwide
1989; Williams 1992), Indo-West Pacific (Ofwegen 1987; Grasshoff 1999; Ofwegen et al 2000; Hoeksema and van Ofwegen 2004, 2008; Matsumoto and Ofwegen 2015) to Hawaii (Bayer 1956). In spite of this vast distribution range, only a few species of melithaeids have been reported from the northwestern Indian Ocean
We describe a new species of the genus Melithaea from approximately 80 m depth, off the coast of Oman
Summary
Melithaeidae, one of the 49 presently recognized families of octocorals (Ofwegen and McFadden 2010; McFadden and Ofwegen 2012, 2013; Breedy et al 2012), has only two valid genera (Reijnen et al 2014) and numerous species distributed worldwide. 1989; Williams 1992), Indo-West Pacific (Ofwegen 1987; Grasshoff 1999; Ofwegen et al 2000; Hoeksema and van Ofwegen 2004, 2008; Matsumoto and Ofwegen 2015) to Hawaii (Bayer 1956) In spite of this vast distribution range, only a few species of melithaeids have been reported from the northwestern Indian Ocean (the coasts of the Arabian Sea, the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, the Oman Sea, and the Persian Gulf). Melithaeidae is an uncommon family in the north-western Indian Ocean, and its maximum depth extends beyond that of conventional diving activities This might explain the scarce records and rarity of these species within this region where they have not been documented in major coral studies (see Sheppard and Salm 1988; Sheppard and Sheppard 1999; Sheppard et al 2000; Claereboudt 2006; Samimi-Namin and van Ofwegen 2016a, b).
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