• Animal Systematics, Evolution and Diversity
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.65-72
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• 2017

This study reports three species in the genus Tubastraea from Korea: Tubastraea coccinea Lesson, 1829; Tubastraea faulkneri Wells, 1982; and Tubastraea micranthus (Ehrenberg, 1834). Tubastraea faulkneri and T. micranthus are newly recorded in Korea. The specimens of three species were collected in the subtidal zones off Jeju-do between 1991 and 2010. The two newly recorded species were described in detail based upon the morphological characters of skeletal structures. The previous records of T. coccinea in Korea were supplemented with additional data in the remarks. These three species have a straight septal arrangement or irregular septal fusion in common as a main character for the genus Tubastraea, but they differ with respect to the growth form, intercorallite distance, exsertness from common coenosteum, and the detailed characters of septal arrangement. Tubastraea faulkneri is similar to T. coccinea in its plocoid growth form, well developed common coenosteum, and corallite size. However, unlike the latter species, the former species is characterized by rare or absent budding adjacent to the corallite edges, wider intercorallite distance, and irregularly developed septal fusion near the columella. In particular, T. micranthus is distinguished by an axial dendroid growth form, and the smallest corallites in this genus.