Re-description of Parabunodactis imperfecta Zamponi & Acuña, 1992 from the Patagonian Argentinean coast

DANIEL LAURETTA; V. HÄUSSERMANN; PABLO E. PENCHASZADEH

SPIXIANA

VERLAG DR FRIEDRICH PFEIL

Año: 2009 vol. 32 p. 167 - 172

0341-8391

The identification of sea anemones requires characteristics that can only be seen through dissection and on histological slides, and can only be interpreted by specialists. Furthermore, in vivo photos add information such as colour, shape and size that can help to already identify specimens in the field that are hard to differentiate in preserved state, but easily distinguished alive (Häussermann 2004). Therefore redescriptions of the numerous species including characteristics of in vivo and preserved specimens are needed to enable biologists to identify these animals and thus include them into their studies and monitoring programs. Zamponi & Acuña (1992) studied the diversity of sea anemones from the intertidal zone of Puerto Madryn (Chubut) based on preserved material collected in 1980. They found one corallimorpharian (Sphincteractis sanmatiensis Zamponi, 1976) and five actiniarians: Antholoba achates (Drayton in Dana, 1846), Anemonia chubutensis Zamponi & Acuña, 1992; Phlyctenanthus regularis Zamponi & Acuña, 1992, Parabunodactis imperfecta Zamponi & Acuña, 1992 and Isophellia madrynensis Zamponi & Acuña, 1992. The latter four were newly described and have not been found again. Since the material was described based on fixed specimens there are no data regarding colour or live characteristics. Therefore we redescribe P. imperfecta including new information on live specimens and on distribution.