Table 1.
Internal and external characters of Muriceaambarae sp. nov., Muriceacacao sp. nov. and Muriceamolinai sp. nov. with similar Muricea nominal species distributed along the Mexican Pacific and Gulf of California collected from 1998–2020 and compared with Breedy and Guzman (2015, 2016a). Colony growth: bu = bushy, fa = falling branches, fl = flabellate. Branching type: di= dichotomous, irr = irregularly, lb = laterally branched, ob = open branched. Polyp distribution rows: im = imbricated, c = close, s = sparsely. Calyx form: el= elongated, sl = shelf-like, t = tubular. Color: am = amber, br = brownish-red, bi = bicolor, cl = colorless, db = deep brown, dy = dull yellowg = gray, lb = light brown, lo = light orange, o = orange, ro = reddish-orange, py = pale yellow, r = red, rb = reddish-brown, y = yellow, w = white. Sclerites: ae = acute end spindles, bs = branched spindles, be = bend spindles, cs = curved spindles, cl= club-like, de = dull ends spindles, lb = lobed, ls = leaf spindles, ps = prickly spindles, r = rods, slr = star-like radiates, str = straight spindles, tbr = tuberculated rods, tbs = tuberculated spindles, uss = unilateral spinous spindles, ws = warty spindles, wr = warty rods.
| Species | Colony growth | Branching type | Terminal branches length (cm) | Polyp distribution rows | Pseudoanastomosis | Calyx height elevation (mm) | Calyx form | Colony Color | Outer coenenchymal and calyx dominant spindles | Coenenchymal and calycular spindles maximum size (mm) | Inner coenenchymal spindles | Anthocodial sclerites | Sclerites color |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M.californica | bu | irr, lb | 2.8 | c, im | no | 1.9 | el | ro | ls | 0.5 | slr, ws | lb, wr | am, lo, ro, py |
| M.echinata | bu | irr, lb | 6–3 | c | no | 2.8–3 | sl | rb | uss | 2.4 | ws | r, bs | o, lb |
| M.fruticosa | bu | irr | 1.5–4 | c | no | 1–1.2 | sl | rb, w, bi | uss | 2 | ws | ws, wr, bs | w, rb, py |
| M.galapagensis | fa | ob | 8 | s | no | 0.6–1 | sl | lo | uss | 4.1 | ws | r, ps | am, lo |
| M.plantaginea | fl | irr, lb | 1–5 | c, im | no | 0.7–1.2 | sl | db/w | ls | 1 | ws | lb, wr | rb, am |
| M.squarrosa | fl | di | 4 | c | no | 2.6 | t | lb | cl, cs | 1.3 | tbs | cl | br, cl, py, y |
| M.ambarae sp. nov. | fl | lb | 9.5 | im | no | 1 | sl | o | ls, tbs | 1.2 | ws | lb | cl, o, y, py |
| M.cacao sp. nov. | fl | lb | 9 | im | yes | 1 | sl | br-r | ls | 1.7 | ae/de-ws | tbr-ae | db, rb |
| M.molinai sp. nov. | fl | lb | 8.7 | im | no | 3 | t | g | uss, tbs | 2.5 | str, cs | tbr, lr | g, am, cl |