Evolution of ahermatypic scleractinian corals from marine caves.

在主要来自琉球群岛的海洋洞穴中发现了属于6属的7种。其中，提出了1个新属和4个新种。Madracis sp.nov.、Desmophyllum cristagalli Milne-Edwards和Haime、Polycyatus sp.nov.、Paracyatus pruinosus Alcock、DendroPhyllia sp.nov.、DendroPhyllia elegans Horst和Pectiniidae gen.et sp.nov.的组合具有特征，不同于迄今为止在琉球群岛报道的非疱疹类型硬壳动物。一些物种的珊瑚形态也很特殊，反映了海洋洞穴的神秘环境。例如，Madracis sp.nov.的珊瑚很大很小，而在开阔的海洋环境中，它们通常是分枝的。在珊瑚分类中，单珊瑚和丛生珊瑚在属的水平上被区分开来。然而，独居珊瑚和群居珊瑚在Desmophyllum属中共存，两者具有相同的杯状物。

Seven species belonging to six genera have been found in the marine caves mainly from the Ryukyu Islands. Among them, one new genus and four new species are propsed, viz. Madracis sp.nov., Desmophyllum cristagalli Milne-Edwards and Haime, Polycyathus sp.nov., Paracyathus pruinosus Alcock, Dendrophyllia sp.nov., Dendrophyllia elegans Horst and Pectiniidae gen.et sp.nov.The assemblages are characteristic, being different from those of ahermatypic scleractinians hitherto reported from the Ryukyu Islands. Morphology of the coralla in some species is also peculiar, reflecting the cryptic environments of the marine caves. For example, the coralla of Madracis sp.nov.are massive and very small, while they are generally ramose in open marine environments. In the classification of scleractinian corals, solitary corals have been discriminated from colonial ones in generic level. However, solitary and colonial coralla, both of which possess same calices coexist in the genus Desmophyllum.