Tenerodus verseveldti Mcfadden & Van Ofwegen 2017, n. comb.

Tenerodus verseveldti (Bayer, 1995), n. comb. Protodendron verseveldti Bayer, 1995: 308 –311. Material examined. Syntype. USNM 93230. South Africa, Natal, off Durban, 29º26'S, 31º46'E, depth 77 m, IIOE, R/ V Anton Bruun sta. 391F, 9 September 1964. Remarks. Bayer (1995) described Protodendron verseveldti from material collected in deep water off Durban. It is unclear why he assigned this species to Protodendron, as it differs considerably from the other species in that genus. Both P. repens (Thomson & Henderson) and Corymbophyton bruuni (Bayer) n. comb. have a colony growth form that consists of clusters of long polyps that are fused to one another only proximally, and are connected to other clusters by a stolon-like membrane. Their sclerites are long, thin spindles, which in C. bruuni n. comb. are modified into clubs with a sharply bent head. Although colonies of T. verseveldti n. comb. also consist of clusters of polyps that arise from a membrane, the polyps are fused within the coenenchymal mass, similar to those of T. fallax n. comb. The anthocodial sclerites are spindles and clubs that are arranged in eight longitudinal tracts that converge at the bases of the tentacles. Sclerites of the colony surface include spindles, clubs, radiates and some irregular forms, with mostly radiates in the interior coenenchyme. Taken together, these characters suggest that this species belongs not to Protodendron, but to Tenerodus n. gen. Attempts to sequence USNM 93230 failed, however, so this taxonomic placement remains unconfirmed by molecular data.Published as part of Mcfadden, Catherine S. & Van Ofwegen, Leen P., 2017, Revisionary systematics of the endemic soft coral fauna (Octocorallia: Alcyonacea: Alcyoniina) of the Agulhas Bioregion, South Africa, pp. 451-488 in Zootaxa 4363 (4) on page 482, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4363.4.1, http://zenodo.org/record/111447