Klyxum sp.

Super Group: 
Eukaryota
Phylum: 
Cnidaria
Class: 
Anthozoa
Order: 
Alcyonacea
Family: 
Alcyoniidae
Genus: 
Klyxum
Species: 
sp.
Authority: 
Alderslade, 2000

Diagnosis

Diagnosis.— Lobate colonies, that, when expanded, generally have rather long lobes that subdivide. Colonies are usually quite small, but at least one species grows to about 50 cm in height, and in my experience they are always soft and fleshy. Polyps are clustered on the lobes, often very densely arranged, and are non-retractile. In preserved specimens, the coenenchyme around the polyps may be raised into a small dome. The sclerites in the coenenchyme are predominantly narrow or plump spindles, with relatively large, rounded, cone-shaped prominences. They are commonly shorter than 0.4 mm, but can be longer than 1 mm. The summit of the coneshaped prominences may be smooth or papillate, and sometimes ridged. The spindles are usually pointed, their abundance is variable, and in some species they only occur in the basal part of the colony stalk. Also in the coenenchyme, predominantly in the lobes, narrow, smooth, flattened rods and small scale-like forms may be found. These often appear poorly formed, and fibrous, and they may be abundant, sparse, or completely absent. There is no distinct layer of sclerites in the colony surface, but it is not unusual to find the sclerites that are near the surface to be slightly smaller, narrower, and smoother than those that lie deeper within. In the lobes, if the smooth rods and scales are present, they may be denser in the surface zone, and clustered around the polyps where they generally appear white in preserved material. When they are abundant in the lobe surface they commonly continue onto the polyp body, with the smaller forms in the tentacles. It is unusual to find polyps with sclerites if there are none in their vicinity in the lobe surface.
Colour.— Polyps are usually dark brown, while the general colony colour is lighter, such as cream, or pinkish brown. In some species both polyps and colony are brown. Sclerites are always colourless. Abundant zooxanthellae.

Etymology

The generic name is a combination of letters with no derivation, and is to be considered neuter.

Ecology

Distribution.— From the literature and my own experience, the genus has been found to occur in Madagascar, Maldives, Thailand, Indonesia, Great Barrier Reef, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, New Caledonia, Fiji, Tonga, Palau, Philippines, and Japan. It can be found both in clear, coral reef waters, and turbid coastal regions.

Observation site(s)

SYMBIONTS

Displaying 1 - 2 of 2
Association with... Region origin Name of site In reference...
Symbiodinium- clade C Great Barrier Reef
VAN OPPEN MJH, MIEOG JC, SANCHEZ CA, FABRICIUS KE (2005) Diversity of algal endosymbionts (zooxanthellae) in octocorals: the roles of geography and host relationships. Molecular Ecology 14:2403 - 2417. doi: 10.1111/mec.2005.14.issue-810.1111/j.1365-294X.2005.02545.x
Symbiodinium- clade D Northern Great Barrier Reef
VAN OPPEN MJH, MIEOG JC, SANCHEZ CA, FABRICIUS KE (2005) Diversity of algal endosymbionts (zooxanthellae) in octocorals: the roles of geography and host relationships. Molecular Ecology 14:2403 - 2417. doi: 10.1111/mec.2005.14.issue-810.1111/j.1365-294X.2005.02545.x