Alaska Stony Coral

Caryophyllia (C.) alaskensis Vaughan, 1941

ACCOUNT.—See Part 1.

Caryophyllia (C.) sp. cf. C. scobinosa Alcock, 1902

Caryophyllia scobinosa Alcock, 1902a:90; 1902c:8, pl. 1: figs. 2, 2a.—Yabe and Eguchi, 1942b:119–120 [in part; not pl. 10: fig. 5].—Utinomi, 1965: 254.—Eguchi, 1965:285, fig.—Cairns and Keller, 1993:235 [synonymy].

Caryophyllia cf. scobinosa.—Utinomi, 1956:42.

DESCRIPTION OF SPECIMENS FROM TM (KT7911, OT4).—Corallum ceratoid, free, and curved about 45. Corallum 10.4 mm in calicular diameter, 17.9 mm in height, and 1.7 mm in pedicel diameter. Costae flat and granular, separated by narrow intercostal striae. Corallum white. Septa hexamerally arranged in 4 complete cycles according to the formula: S1–2>S3>>S4. S1–2 only slightly exsert and have straight, vertical inner edges that do not attain the columella. S3 about three-fourths width of S1–2 and have slightly sinuous inner edges. S4 rudimentary, only about one-third width of S3, and have irregular to lacerate inner edges. Twelve broad lamellar pali occur in a crown before the S3, each palus almost as wide as its adjacent S3 and having only moderately sinuous inner edges. Fossa of moderate depth, containing a columella of 5 slender, twisted elements.

Caryophyllia (C.) alaskensis Vaughan, 1941

Caryophyllia alaskensis Vaughan, 1941:280–281, pl. 40: figs. 1–4.—Durham, 1947:33 [in part: only specimen from Alaska].—Not Durham, 1949:152153 [= C. arnoldi].—Not Durham and Barnard, 1952:81 [= C. arnoldi].— Talmadge, 1972:81 [in part: Alaskan specimen].—?Ricketts and Calvin, 1952:37.—Not Keller, 1981a:21 [= C. arnoldi and C. japonica].—Austin, 1985:81 [in part: northern records].—Bythell, 1986:14 [in part: not pl. 4: figs. C-F, only northern latitude range].—Cairns et al., 1991:47.

DESCRIPTION.—Corallum ceratoid, always attached through a relatively slender pedicel (18%-33%GCD). Calice circular to elliptical; calicular edge finely serrate, each septum forming a broad equilateral apex. Largest specimen examined (Alb-3317) 21.1 × 16.6 mm in diameter and 20.3 mm in height. Theca smooth, porcellaneous (not granular), and thin (translucent); milky white. C1–3 occasionally slightly ridged near calicular edge; otherwise, costae not expressed. Thin, chalky white intercostal striae delimit costae but there is no relief to theca.

Septa often hexamerally arranged in four complete cycles (48 septa and 12 pali) according to formula:S1–2>S3>S4, but large coralla have 56 septa and 14 pali or 64 septa and 16 pali, the largest specimen having an almost complete fifth cycle (94 septa). Instead of a fourth size class of septa to accommodate the fifth cycle, larger calices maintain only three size classes by adding equivalent half-systems of septa (i.e., 1 S2, 1 S3, and 2 S4), rather than two pairs of S5. S1–2 very slightly exsert (less than 1 mm) and have straight to slightly sinuous inner edges that merge with the columella deep within fossa. S3 only half width of S1–2, having slightly sinuous inner edges and bordered internally by very sinuous, large pali, each 1–3 times width of an S3. P3 prominently granulated and extend into columella. S4 about three-quarters width of S3 and have sinuous inner edges. Fossa moderate to shallow, containing a fascicular columella composed of 6–17 narrow twisted laths, which are usually independent of one another.

azooxanthellate

102-399 m