Swiftia, Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864

Breedy, Odalisca, Cairns, Stephen D. & Häussermann, Verena, 2015, A new alcyonacean octocoral (Cnidaria, Anthozoa, Octocorallia) from Chilean fjords, Zootaxa 3919 (2), pp. 327-334 : 329

Genus Swiftia Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864

Swiftia Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864: 13 ; Kükenthal 1924: 236; Deichmann 1936: 185 –186; Bayer 1956: F206; Bayer 1981: 945; Harden 1979: 109 –110.

Stenogorgia Verrill, 1883: 29 (see Kükenthal 1924: 347 for Stenogorgia synonymy).

Platycaulos Wright & Studer, 1889: 61 ; Bayer 1981: 945.

Callistephanus Wright & Studer, 1889: 62 ; Bayer 1981: 945.

Allogorgia Verrill, 1928: 7 ; Bayer 1981: 945.

Diagnosis. Colonies branching mostly in one plane, fan-like, dichotomous, pinnate-like, or unbranched. Branches mostly free or with some anastomosing. Polyp mounds conical, prominent, or slightly raised, scattered or crowded, usually biserial and with two opposed polyp mounds at the tip of the branches. Coenenchyme usually thin. Coenenchymal sclerites are capstans, radiates and spindles. Thin, sharp and elongated spindles concentrated in the polyp mounds. Anthocodiae with points arrangements of bar-like rods straight or curved, frequently long. Collaret absent or of a few bar-like rods. Axis horny and flexible. Color of the colonies red, orange, pink or white.

Type species. Gorgonia exserta Ellis & Solander, 1786 , by monotypy.

Remarks. According to Deichmann (1936) the definition of the genus Swiftia corresponds exactly with Stenogorgia Verrill, 1883 . Deichmann stated that the problem was a misinterpretation of G. exserta Ellis & Solander, 1786 by Verrill and later by Kükenthal (1924). However, a thorough review is needed in order to clarify taxonomic problems related to Swiftia .