Diphasia margareta (Hassall, 1841)

Sertularia margareta Hassall, 1841: 284, pl. VI, figs. 3 – 4.

Diphasia pinaster: Hincks, 1868: 252–253, pl. L, fig. 1; Cornelius, 1995b: 50–53, fig. 10.

Diphasia elegans G.O. Sars, 1873: 107–108, tab.III, figs. 23–26.

Diphasia margareta: Cornelius, 1979: 263–265, fig. 11; Ramil & Vervoort, 1992: 201–210, figs.52, 53, 54, 55, 56C–E, 57A, 58; Gil & Ramil, 2017b: 309–318, figs 4–7.

Diphasia pectinata: Vervoort, 1959: 255–256, figs. 23–24 [Not Diphasia pectinata: Lamarck, 1816 = Diphasia nigra (Pallas, 1766)].

Material examined. MSM 16 /3, stn GeoB 14871–2, ROV, 19°08.344’– 19°08.235’N, 16°45.849’– 16°45.664’W, 427–566 m, 9-XI-2010: three colonies 22–46 mm high, two of them growing on Sertularella gayi; one colony with female gonothecae .

MSM 16 /3, stn GeoB 14886–1, ROV, 18°39.013’– 18°38.476’N, 16°43.580’– 16°43.757’W, 484–640 m, 12-XI- 2010: one colony 60 mm high, growing on Madrepora oculata, no gonothecae .

MSM 16 /3, stn GeoB 14914–1, ROV, 17°08.203’– 17°07.898’N, 16°49.478’– 16°48.878’W, 417–514 m, 17-XI- 2010: one colony on Sertularella gayi, without gonothecae .

Remarks. This species was re-described in detail by Gil & Ramil (2017b), including a discussion of its taxonomical status and a review of types of substrates, reproductive periods and its geographical distribution. Diphasia margareta is a Northeastern Atlantic species widely distributed in Northwest Africa, from Northern Morocco to Guinea Bissau, Canary and Cape Verde Islands.