76 
THE CORAL TRIANGLE: HEARST BIODIVERSITY EXPEDITION 
Island, Devil’s Point, 6-21 m depth, 23 Feb 1995, coll. G. C. Williams, 1 whole colony wet-pre¬ 
served 75% ethanol; CASIZ 103912; Philippines, Luzon, Nasugbu, Pinnacle Rock; 7 m depth; 04 
March 1995; coll. G. C. Williams; two specimens wet-preserved 75% ethanol. 
Remarks. — Branches are often somewhat flattened with a longitudinal line or furrow run¬ 
ning along both sides of the branches. Subergorgia appressa (Nutting, 1911) and S. pulchra (Nut¬ 
ting, 1911) are junior synonyms ofY suberosa. 
Species. — Ten species of the genus Subergorgia are recognized and listed (Appeltans et al. 
2013). 
Distribution. — The genus has an Indo-West Pacific distribution (Zanzibar, Madagascar, 
Mauritius, Sri Lanka, Great Barrier Reef, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, China, Taiwan, Japan, 
Palau, New Guinea, Solomon Islands, New Caledonia). 
References. — Fabricius et al. (2007:91); Gosliner, Behrens and Williams (1996:51); 
Grasshoff and Bargibant (2001:68-72). 
Family Melithaeidae Gray, 1870 
Genus Acabaria Gray, 1859 
Acabaria spp. 
Figures IOC, 11 
Material Examined.— CASIZ 186644, Philippines, Luzon, Batangas Province, Maricaban 
Island, Devil’s Point, 29.6 m depth, 20 May 2011, coll. G. C. Williams, one whole colony wet-pre¬ 
served 95% ethanol. 
Remarks. — The family Melithaeidae contains five currently recognized genera (Acabaria, 
Clathraria, Melithaea, Mopsella, and Wrightella), which are not easily distinguished morphologi¬ 
cally (Fabricius and Alderslade 2001). If a future revision shows that only one genus in the family 
is valid, then Melithaea would have priority as the first described genus (Reijnen et al. 2013). Cur¬ 
rently, the species that have been assigned to Acabaria are highly variable with regard to sclerite 
form. Included here are spindles, as well as various foliate forms such as leafy spindles, clubs, and 
spheroids. A remarkable amount of color variation can also be seen in species of Acabaria, includ¬ 
ing those found in the Philippines. Many are brightly colored — yellow, red, violet, white, or tan- 
brown are commonly encountered colors that are observed in the various species. Individual 
colonies may even be bicolored. 
Species. — Forty-seven species are recognized (Appeltans et al. 2013). 
Distribution. — The genus is broadly distributed in the Indo-Paciflc (East Africa to Hawaii). 
References. — Fabricius et al. (2007:91); Fabricius and Alderslade (2001); Gosliner, Behrens 
and Williams (1996:52). Grasshoff and Bargibant (2001:90-97); Williams (1993:50-51). 
Genus Melithaea Milne Edwards and Haime, 1857 
Melithaea sp. 
Figures 10 A, 12 
Material Examined.— CASIZ 103805, Philippines, Luzon, Batangas Province, Maricaban 
Island, Bonito Island, 16.8 m depth, 27 Febmary 1995, coll. G C. Williams, one whole colony wet- 
preserved 75% ethanol. 
Remarks. — Species of Melithaea can form large fans and often attain a height of over one 
meter in localities with strong currents where abundant food is available. The nodes often produce 
