Lateothela

Diagnosis: Monomorphic scleraxonians which form bulky, complex colonies; often with an extensive membranous or encrusting growth, from which multiple, upright, robust branches may emanate; some secondary branching can occur along with anastomoses; medulla without well-defined coelenteric canals; ring of boundary canals encircling medulla, clearly defining the cortex; distinct, robust calyces with a smooth mat-like surface; sclerites include tuberculate sticks and spindles, rodlets and spiky clubs; preponderance of short, stout warty rodlets in calyces and surface; longitudinally arranged tuberculate sticks and spindles and spiky clubs in the tentacle rachis; thorny josephinae clubs crowded and longitudinally arranged in the pinnules.

Remarks: Morphologically comparable genera include Anthothela, Victorgorgia and Briareopsis Bayer, 1993. Specimens of Lateothela n. gen. have been mistakenly identified as Anthothela grandiflora for over 150 years. Superficially the colonies are similar with a complex construction of both encrusting and branched forms, similar colour and habitat and comparable appearance of calyces and polyps. The main features of Lateothela n. gen. which differ from those of Anthothela are: preponderance of short, stout, warty rodlets in the cortex and calyx (Anthothela specimens chiefly have tuberculate sticks and spindles); many thorny josephinae clubs in pinnules and tentacle rachis, few or no flat spatulate clubs (Anthothela specimens have many spatulate clubs and few or no josephinae clubs); crowded mixed sclerite forms on the polyp neck and tentacle rachis that include spiky clubs (Anthothela specimens have only sparse tuberculate sticks and spindles on the polyp neck and tentacle rachis).; colony robust, with a tendency for multiple branches to grow roughly perpendicular from a membrane with only minor secondary branching or anastomosing (Anthothela specimens have many narrow, tangled, commonly anastomosing branches growing without any discernable organisation). The main features of Lateothela n. gen. which differ from those of Victorgorgia are: thorny josephinae clubs in the tentacles (Victorgorgia has josephinae clubs which lack thorns and have only small, rounded tubercles); no central coelenteric canals in the medulla (Victorgorgia has clearly defined central coelenteric canals in the medulla); growth form not aborescent (Victorgorgia has arborescent colonies); sclerites present in the pharynx (Victorgorgia species lack pharynx sclerites). Lateothela n. gen. could be compared to Briareopsis due to a similarity of sclerites but Briareopsis has a distinct single main stem which then branches dichotomously, the cortex is divided into two layers (the inner layer is very spongy), the medulla and cortex are only poorly differentiated by boundary canals and the calyces are very low (Bayer 1993).

Etymology: The new generic name is derived from the Latin, lateo (to lurk, lie hidden or escape notice) and thela in recognition that the genus has long been mistaken for specimens of Anthothela.

Type species: Parerythropodium grandiflorum Tixier-Durivault & d'Hondt, 1974 by designation and monotypy. = Lateothela grandiflora new combination