Taxonomic review of the genus Ceriantheomorphe (Cnidaria; Anthozoa; Ceriantharia) from Western Atlantic Ocean

Author(s)

Celine Lopes da Silva Santos

• Document type: Master's Dissertation
• Press: Assis. 2018-07-19.
• Institution: Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp). Faculdade de Ciências e Letras. Assis
• Defense date: 2018-06-04
• Advisor: Sérgio Nascimento Stampar

Abstract

In Ceriantharia occur many inconsistencies in the taxonomic descriptions and the scarcity of studies about the distribution pattern become difficult the process of identification of species. Ceriantheomorphe brasiliensis Carlgren 1931 is a species that present a disconnected distribution. Besides that, the species described as Cerianthus brasiliensis Mello-Leitão, 1919 from Baía de Guanabara already was pointed by some authors as synonym of Ceriantheomorphe brasiliensis. Based in the scenario above, this study redescribed Ceriantheomorphe brasiliensis, designing a new holotype and described a new species of Ceriantheomorphe from Gulf of Mexico. Thus, nineteen individuals identified as Ceriantheomorphe brasiliensis were analyzed, one specimen described as Cerianthus brasiliensis and one individual belongs to Ceriantheomorphe ambonensis Kwietniewski, 1892. The anatomical and cnidome analysis of the polyps were performed and the specimens were compared. With our analysis a new species was described, Ceriantheomorphe n. sp. Lopes and Stampar. from Gulf of Mexico which has three pairs of mesenteries connected to syphonoglyph, the protomesenteries (P2) are shorter than first four quartets of the metamesenteries (M) and the proportion between the metamesenteries M and m has an average of the 0.19 cm to 0.3 cm. Furthermore, our results showed that the specimen described as Cerianthus brasiliensis is synonym of the Ceriantheomorphe brasiliensis and the new distribution of the species is restricted to the South and Southeast from Brazil and Uruguay. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 16/04962-0 - Taxonomic review and potential distribution of the genus Ceriantheomorphe (Cnidaria, Anthozoa, Ceriantharia) in the Atlantic Ocean
• Grantee: Celine Lopes da Silva Santos
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master