A new genus and species of sea anemone, Onubactis rocioi gen. et spec. nov. (Actiniidae) is described from the Atlantic coast of the southern Iberian Peninsula. The main features of Onubactis rocioi are: a smooth to corrugate scapus, a delicate scapulus provided with a ruff of non-adherent papillate outgrowths, absence of acrorhagi, more mesenteries distally than proximally, a weak diffuse sphincter, and presence of numerous spirocysts in the pedal disc. The new genus is discussed in relation to five other genera which are characterized by a distal ruff of columnar outgrowths: Actinostella Duchassaing, 1850; Oulactis Milne-Edwards & Haime, 1851; Saccactis Lager, 1911; Isocradactis Carlgren, 1924; and Isoulactis Carlgren, 1959. Of these, it seems closest to Saccactis.

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Zoologische Mededelingen

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Naturalis journals & series

López-González, P. J., den Hartog, J. C., & García-Gómez, J. C. (1995). Onubactis rocioi gen. et spec. nov., a new species of Actiniidae (Anthozoa: Actiniaria) from the southern Iberian Peninsula. Zoologische Mededelingen, 69(29), 375–383.