Calcigorgia pacifica, Matsumoto & Van Ofwegen & Bayer, 2019

Matsumoto, Asako K., Van Ofwegen, Leen P. & Bayer, Frederick M., 2019, A revision of the genus Calcigorgia (Cnidaria, Octocorallia, Acanthogorgiidae) with the description of three new species, Zootaxa 4571 (1), pp. 1-27 : 18

Calcigorgia pacifica sp. n.

Figures 1b , 14a , 15

http://zoobank.org/ BF134333-A7B7-497A-8740-5B82E34AFB89

Material examined. Holotype RMNH Coel. 42108 ( AKM959-1 ), Shima Spur, 34°00.72'N, 136°53.28'E, depth 789– 781 m, R/ V Tansei-maru, KT 08-3 cruise, 4 March 2008; paratypes: RMNH Coel. 42109 ( AKM959-2 ), same data as holotype; RMNH Coel. 42143 ( AKM310 ), Sagami Bay , 33°28.6N– 33°28.9N, 139°41.6E– 139°41.4E, depth 445–547 m, R/ V Shinyo-maru, KS 03, St. 22, coll. A.K. Matsumoto, 21 October, 2003. RMNH Coel. 42144 ( AKM319 ), Sagami Bay, 33°28.8N– 33°29.5N, 139°42.7E– 139°42.6E, depth 512–600m, R/ V Shinyo-maru, KS 03, St. 25, coll. A.K. Matsumoto, 21 October, 2003; other material: NSMT-Co1431, 2nd Tenryu Sea Knoll, 34°03.819'N, 137°47.789'E, depth 692 m, dive 2K#1377, 8 August 2002 (fragment of JAMSTEC No. 52548).

Description. The holotype is 6.5 cm wide and 4.5 cm high ( Figure 14a ). The stem is 1 cm long and about 1 mm wide; the holdfast is missing. Regular, lateral branching forms the colony, with branches thread-like, less than a mm wide. The brown axis is visible through the thin coenenchyme. The polyps are arranged spirally around the branches, they are about two mm high and one mm wide. Tentacles with a few scales, up to 0.05 mm long, with a few simple tubercles ( Figure 15a ). Polyps with spindles ( Figure 15b ) and clubs ( Figure 15c ), up to 0.20 mm long, with simple tubercles. Coenenchyme with capstans, small spindles ( Figure 15d ) and small clubs ( Figure 15e ), 0.05–0.10 mm long, with simple tubercles.

Colour. Brownish. Live colour of polyps and tissue pink.

Etymology. Named after the Pacific Ocean because all specimens were found along the Pacific coast of Japan.

Distribution. Pacific side of Japan: Shima Spur, Tenryu Sea Knoll in 445–789 m ( Figure 1b ).

Remarks. The species mostly resembles Calcigorgia gracilis sp. n. but the latter species lacks smaller clubs in the coenenchyme of the branches.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Distribution map of Calcigorgia species: a. C. beringi (Δ) and C. gigantea. (D) b. C. gracilis sp. n.(-) and C. pacifica sp. n. (+), c. C. japonica (O) (including the type locality data from Dautova 2007) and C. matua (×) and C. matua from Dautova 2018 (•), d. C. spiculifera (Ɨ), type locality data from Broch 1935 (Ɨ), C. simushiri(= C. spiculifera) from Dautova, 2018 (D),? C. spiculifera in Dautova, 2018 (-).

FIGURE 14. Calcigorgia pacifica sp. n., a. holotype RMNH Coel. 42108 b. Calcigorgia spiculifera Broch, 1935, neotype USNM 1012500 c. C. spiculifera small colony, USNM133587.

FIGURE 15. Calcigorgia pacifica sp. n., holotype RMNH Coel. 42108 a undeveloped spindles b spindles of polyps c clubs of polyps d capstans and small spindles of coenenchyme e clubs of coenenchyme.