Aldersladum is a new genus of soft coral which was erected due to some very peculiar sclerites in one former species of Efflatournaria and another new species of soft coral. The two species in the genus Aldersladum are A. godwanum and A. jengi which are joining the soft coral family Alcyoniidae that include Sinularia and other familiar aquarium leather corals. What makes these two Aldersladum species unique is their distinct sclerites that look similar to figure 8 shapes, unlike any other known soft coral.
Aldersladum sodwanum is the type species for the new Aldersladum coral genus which was originally discovered in Sodwana Bay, South Africa. Aldersladum sodwanum was previously described as Efflatournaria sodwanae and although the low encrusting shape of the colonies greatly resembles Efflatournaria the distinct sclerites rules it out as a member of the Xeniidae family.
Aldersladum jengi is a new species of soft coral from Taiwan which has a colony which is described as flabby with a low base giving rise to short lobes that rarely ever branch. In water current the undulating lobes of Aldersladum jengi were described as resembling the familiar soft coral Klyxum. Examination of type materials confirmed that the new Aldersladum occurs from East Africa to East Asia, so it is possible that some unusual specimens of colt corals in the trade actually represent the newly described Aldersladum jengi from Taiwan.
The soft coral genus Aldersladum and its two species A. sodwanum and A. jengiare described by Yehuda Benayahu and Catherine McFadden in the March 2011 issue of the Zookeys journal.
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