Widest geographic distribution of a shallow and mesophotic antipatharian coral (Anthozoa: Hexacorallia): Antipathes grandis VERRILL, 1928 – confirmed by morphometric and molecular analyses

Abstract

We provide the first record of the shallow and mesophotic (< 150 m depth) antipatharian coral Antipathes grandis VERRILL, 1928 from the Indian Ocean. First described from Hawaii, A. grandis was recently found on a mesophotic coral reef in SW Madagascar. Its identity was confirmed by means of morphological and molecular analyses (cytochrome c oxidase subunit I). These findings not only expand our knowledge of the potential geographic range of antipatharian corals, but also challenge the belief that only deep-sea (> 200 m depth) benthic taxa have such wide geographic distributions.

Description of a new and widely distributed species of Bathypathes (Cnidaria: Anthozoa: Antipatharia: Schizopathidae) previously misidentified as Bathypathes alternata Brook, 1889

“…However, for the time being there is no reliable morphological or molecular evidence to distinguish between specimens from the Pacific and Atlantic oceans and New Zealand described here as Bathypathes pseudoalternata . Similar results showing a wide geographic distribution based on both morphological and molecular analyses was recently reported for the shallow and mesophotic antipatharian species Antipathes grandis Verrill, 1922 in the family Antipathidae ( Gress et al, 2020 ).…”

Thermal sensitivity of black corals (Antipatharia: Hexacorallia): Comparisons between sympatric species from a thermally fluctuating site in Madagascar and between allopatric congenerics

“…spiralis, Stichopathes cf. maldivensis and Antipathes grandis from the North pass of the Great reef of Toliara (Wejieme, 2019;Gress et al, 2020). Polyp size was estimated by measuring the distance between the distal and proximal edges of lateral tentacles (average value) in Wejieme (2019), and by measuring the transverse diameter of polyps (range) in Gress et al (2020).…”

“…maldivensis and Antipathes grandis from the North pass of the Great reef of Toliara (Wejieme, 2019;Gress et al, 2020). Polyp size was estimated by measuring the distance between the distal and proximal edges of lateral tentacles (average value) in Wejieme (2019), and by measuring the transverse diameter of polyps (range) in Gress et al (2020). Polyp density was estimated by counting the number of polyps on a 3-cm 2 surface for unbranched colonies and on a 1-cm 2 surface for branched ones (average value), in Wejieme (2019).…”

“…Polyp density was estimated by counting the number of polyps on a 3-cm 2 surface for unbranched colonies and on a 1-cm 2 surface for branched ones (average value), in Wejieme (2019). In Gress et al (2020), polyp density was estimated in polyps per cm (9-13 polyps per cm), so the value in polyps per cm 2 was estimated for a 1-cm 2 surface based on the diameter of the terminal branchlets (approx. 0.02 cm).…”