Coralliidae (Anthozoa: Octocorallia) from the INDEMARES 2010 expedition to north and northwest Spain (northeast Atlantic), with delimitation of a new species using both morphological and molecular approaches

Abstract

Three species of deep-water bathyal Coralliidae were collected during the INDEMARES 2010 expedition of the Spanish Institute of Oceanography to the Avilés Canyon System and the Galicia Bank (Spain, northeast Atlantic): Corallium occultum n. sp., Corallium cf. bayeri Simpson & Watling, 2011, and Corallium niobe Bayer, 1964. The new species is supported by both morphological and molecular evidence, and its phylogenetic relationship within the Coralliidae is inferred. Corallium cf. bayeri is first recorded from European waters. Corallium johnsoni Gray, 1860 from off Portugal and Madeira, and Corallium tricolor (Johnson, 1898) from Madeira are redescribed from museum material, and their sclerites first depicted by scanning electron microscopy. The sclerome of C. johnsoni is more complex than previously thought, with occurrence of double clubs, and 6-, 7- and 8-radiates. A key is proposed for the identification of all the Atlantic species of the genus Corallium.

A review of gorgonian coral species (Cnidaria, Octocorallia, Alcyonacea) held in the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History research collection: focus on species from Scleraxonia, Holaxonia, and Calcaxonia – Part I: Introduction, species of Scleraxonia and Holaxonia (Family Acanthogorgiidae)

“…A number of species in the genus Corallium have recently been transferred to the genus Hemicorallium (encompassing species discussed here; Cordeiro et al 2019); this is based on the work of Tu et al (2015a, b, 2016). Species in the genus Hemicorallium are represented in the SBMNH collection by a single specimen, SBMNH 471940 (likely Hemicoralliumducale ; see Appendix 1: List of material examined), but three species have been recorded (collected west of the California Channel Islands), in proximity to the western boundary edge of the Bight (location data for specimens housed at NMNH).…”

Taxonomic revision of Coralliidae with descriptions of new species from New Caledonia and the Hawaiian Archipelago

“…Collection specimens of the following 28 species were studied and compared (see also the material listed in Tu et al 2015a): Corallium japonicum Kishinouye, 1903, C. rubrum (Linnaeus, 1758, Hemicorallium sulcatum (Kishinouye, 1903), Pleurocorallium carusrubrum (Tu, Dai & Jeng, 2012), P. elatius (Ridley, 1882), P. inutile (Kishinouye, 1902) and P. konojoi (Kishinouye, 1903) from ASIZ; H. taiwanicum Tu et al, 2012 from NMNS;C.…”

“…Lamouroux (1812) erected the family Coralliidae and since then, octocorals featuring a continuous stony axis of calcium carbonate and covered with a thin cortical layer have been classified as members of this family (Bayer 1956). Currently, there are 39 species of coralliid corals with a higher diversity in the Pacific Ocean (Nonaka et al 2012;Tu et al 2012Tu et al , 2015a.…”

“…Atlantic, with only a few records (Sampaio et al 2009;Simpson & Watling 2011;Tu et al 2015a). However, this distribution pattern may not reflect the natural distribution of Coralliidae because most members of this family are distributed in the deep ocean, increasing the difficulty of collection.…”

“…Key to species of Coralliidae (modified from Tu et al 2012Tu et al , 2015a (Figure 9) -Surface of axis smooth; grooves formed by tentacles extending only on the oral part of autozooids; siphonozooids small, with an obvious orifice surrounding the base of autozooids…”