Description of a new coral species <i>Ctenactis triangular is</i> (Scleractinia: Fungiidae) from Andaman Islands, India

Abstract

A new species of scleractinian coral Ctenactis triangularis sp. nov. in the family Fungiidae has been described from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. This species has a triangular arm shaped corallum with the mouth extending along all three arms. Septal dentition is long, cylindrical, equally sized and closely arranged. Numerous pits on the costae and costal spines are spinulose. Ctenactis triangularis sp. nov. has an affinity with Ctenactis echinata (Pallas, 1766), Ctenactis crassa (Dana, 1846) and Ctenactis albitentaculata (Hoeksema, 1989), thus the morphological features have been compared with these three species and discussed.