Ovabunda arabica (Reinicke 1995)

The holotype is 45 mm high; its stalk is 15 mm long, 7 mm wide at its base and 7 mm wide at its upper part. The polyp’s body is 12 mm long, and tentacles up to 11 mm long. The pinnules are 2 mm long and 0.2 mm wide at the base; the gap between adjacent pinnules is one pinnule wide. There are two rows of pinnules on each side and 24-25 pinnules in the outermost row. The sclerites are spheroids of the Ovabunda-type, measuring 0.028–0.036 mm at largest diameter. One paratype (RMNH Coel. 18675) has a total height of 20 mm; its stalk is 16 mm long, 10 mm wide at the base, and 18 mm wide at its uppermost part. The polyp’s body is 9 mm long; the tentacles are 6 mm long, featuring two rows of pinnules 2.2 mm long and 0.2 mm wide on each side, and 24–29 pinnules in the outermost row. The pinnules mostly feature a one pinnule width gap. Sclerites are Ovabunda-type, regular and pear- shaped (Fig. 4a, c), measuring 0.016–0.030 × 0.022–0.038 mm in diameter (n = 27 sclerites). Occasionally, two sclerites are fused (Fig. 4b), measuring up to 0.048 mm in diameter. The sclerites are more abundant on the aboral side of the tentacles than the oral one. The second paratype (RMNH Coel. 18676) has 2 rows of pinnules on each side of the tentacles, 24–27 in the outermost row. The sclerites are Ovabunda-type, measuring 0.026–0.036 mm at maximal diameter. The original description indicated non-pulsating polyps for live colonies. Colour of the ethanol-preserved holotype is light brown.

Red Sea: Gulf of Aqaba.