Cladiella kuekenthali

Cladiella kuekenthali (Tixier-Durivault, 1942) (Figs. 28B, 31 & 32) Lobularia Kükenthali Tixier-Durivault, 1942: 138–143, Figs. 1–5; Tixier-Durivault 1944a: 188; Tixier-Durivault 1948: 185– 189, Figs. 179–183 (re-description). Not Alcyonium digitulatum Stiasny, 1937: 392. Material examined. Holotype. MNHN-IK-2000-385, Red Sea, coll. H. Michelin. Description. The holotype is a fragment of a lobate colony with a cross-section of 34 x 29 mm attached to a piece of calcareous substrate (Fig. 28B). The laterally flattened lobes feature an irregular outline and the retracted polyps appear as small pits on their surface. The sclerome of the polyps comprises elongated platelets, 0.04–0.07 mm long. Their surface presents a combined tuberculate and cristate-like texture (Fig. 31A). The surface of the lobes features some poorly developed dumbbells, 0.06–0.07 mm long, mostly with densely placed rounded tubercles (Fig. 31B). The dumbbells from the interior of the lobes are 0.07–0.09 mm long and their bare waist is 0.02–0.03 mm wide and 0.01–0.02 mm long (Fig. 31C), with either end ornamented with rounded tubercles or blunt-ended conical ones. The surface layer of the base comprises poorly developed dumbbells, 0.04– 0.08 mm long, featuring rounded tubercles (Fig. 32A). The dumbbells from the interior of the colony base are 0.08–0.10 mm long, ornamented with low pointed conical or short blunt-ended conical tubercles, separated by a bare waist, 0.02–0.04 mm wide and 0.01–0.02 mm long (Fig. 32B). Color. The dry holotype MNHN-IK-2000-385 is beige-brown. Remarks. The original description of holotype MNHN-IK-2000-385 (Tixier-Durivault 1942: 138–143, Figs. 1–5) was repeated in the subsequent revision of the genus (Tixier-Durivault 1948: 185–189, Figs. 179–183). In general, the current examination of both the holotype colony and its sclerites corresponds to the descriptions by Tixier-Durivault (1942, 1948). Figure 183 in Tixier-Durivault’s 1948 revision refers to the lobe sclerites, but actually presents both polyp sclerites and some of the lobe sclerites. This species is diagnostically characterized by elongated polyp platelets, featuring coarse rods with no indication of lateral median constriction. No details are provided on the exact locality in the Red Sea where the type colony was collected. Distribution. Red Sea.