Genus Melithaea Milne-Edwards & Haime, 1857

Museums

Regional Maps

• Melithaea Milne Edwards, H. 1857. Histoire Naturelle des Coralliaires ou Polypes Proprement Dits. Paris : Librairie Encyclopédique de Roret Vol. T. 1 326 pp. [Only the chapter 'Introduction historique' was written by Milne-Edwards & Haime, as the latter passed away (see preface to the volume)] [199] [name Melithaea was made available by the ICZN in 1985].

  Type species:

   Isis ochracea Linnaeus, 1758 by monotypy.
• Melitea Lamouroux, J.V. 1812. Extrait d'un memoire sur la classification des polypiers coralligenes non entierement pierreux. Nouveau Bulletin des Sciences, par la Société Philomatique de Paris 3: 63-188 [188] [the name Melitea was ruled as invalid by the ICZN in 1985].

  Type species:

   Isis ochracea Linnaeus, 1758 by monotypy.
• Melitella Gray, J.E. 1859. Descriptions of some new genera of Lithophytes, or stony Zoophytes. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 479-486 [485].

  Type species:

   Melitella elongata Gray, 1859 by subsequent designation, see Hickson, S.J. 1937. The family Melitodidae. Transactions of the Zoological Society of London 23(3): 73-212 [123].
• Melitodes Verrill, A.E. 1864. List of the polyps and corals sent by the Museum of Comparative Zoology to other institutions in exchange, with annotations. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard 1: 29-60 [38] [originally an objective synonym, the name Melitodes was ruled as invalid by the ICZN in 1985].

  Type species:

   Isis ochracea Linnaeus, 1758 by monotypy.
• Acabaria Gray, J.E. 1859. Descriptions of some new genera of Lithophytes, or stony Zoophytes. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 479-486 [484].

  Type species:

   Acabaria divaricata Gray, 1859 by monotypy.
• Psilacabaria Ridley, S. 1884. Alcyonaria. pp. 327-365 in Report on the Zoological Collections made in the Indo-Pacific Ocean during the voyage of the H.M.S. 'Alert ' 1881-2. London : British Museum Trustees, printed by Taylor & Francis. [363].

  Type species:

   Psilacabaria gracillima Ridley, 1884 by monotypy.
• Anicella Gray, J.E. 1868. Descriptions of some new genera and species of Alcyonoid corals in the British Museum. Annals and Magazine of Natural History 4 2: 441-445 [445].

  Type species:

   Anicella australis Gray, 1869 by monotypy.
• Clathraria Gray, J.E. 1859. Descriptions of some new genera of Lithophytes, or stony Zoophytes. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 479-486 [486].

  Type species:

   Clathraria rubrinoides Gray, 1859 by monotypy.

Taxonomic Decision for Synonymy

• Muzik, K. & Bayer, F.M. 1980. Melithaea Milne Edwards & Haime, 1857 and Isis ochracea Linnaeus, 1758 (Coelenterata, Anthozoa): proposed conservation Z.N.(S.)2150. Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature 37(4): 228-230
• Reijnen, B.T., McFadden, C.S., Hermanlimianto, Y.T. & van Ofwegen, L.P. 2014. A molecular and morphological exploration of the generic boundaries in the family Melithaeidae (Coelenterata: Octocorallia) and its taxonomic consequences. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 70: 383-401 (synonymised all names previously under Acabaria and Clathraria)

Distribution

IBRA and IMCRA regions

IMCRA

Bass Strait Shelf Province (35), Southeast Shelf Transition (37)

History of changes