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A Revision Of The Octocoral Genus Ovabunda Alderslade, 2001 (Anthozoa, Octocorallia, Xeniidae), Catherine S. Mcfadden, Yehuda Benayahu, Anna Halász, Dafna Aharonovich, Robert Toonen
A Revision Of The Octocoral Genus Ovabunda Alderslade, 2001 (Anthozoa, Octocorallia, Xeniidae), Catherine S. Mcfadden, Yehuda Benayahu, Anna Halász, Dafna Aharonovich, Robert Toonen
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The family Xeniidae (Octocorallia) constitutes an abundant benthic component on many Indo-West Pacific coral reefs and is ecologically important in the Red Sea. The genus Ovabunda Alderslade, 2001 was recently established to accommodate previous Xenia species with sclerites comprised of a mass of minute corpuscle-shaped microscleres. The aim of the present study was to examine type material of Xenia species in order to verify their generic affiliation. We present here a comprehensive account of the genus Ovabunda, using scanning electron microscopy to depict sclerite microstructure. We assign three Xenia species to the genus: O. ainex comb. n., O. …