SOME NEPHTHEID OCTOCORALS FROM KII COAST, MIDDLE JAPAN

Abstract

The present paper is a continuation of the study of octocoral fauna around the Kii coast and concerned with a collection of the Nephtheidae (Nephthyidae), exclusive of the genera Dendronephthya, Stereonephthya and "Eunephthya" (=Capnella) which have already been published. The material so far obtained comprises a new species of Litophyton (Lithophytum auct.) and five known or unknown species of Nephthea (Nephthya auct.). All of them are recorded here for the first time from Japanese waters. As to the nomenclature of both the genera Litophyton and Nephthea, I follow an opinion expressed by ROXAS (1933) that any emendation of spelling of older names as has been done by EHRENBERG, KUKENTHAL and most later workers is unnecessary and is not required by any rules of nomenclature, even if linguistically incorrect, and it is to be hoped that this decision will be generally accepted. Hence, the family name Nephthyidae VERRILL should be replaced by Nephtheidae in favour of the oldest generic name Nephthea.