Pacifigorgia catedralensis, Breedy, Odalisca & Guzman, Hector M., 2004

Breedy, Odalisca & Guzman, Hector M., 2004, New species of the gorgoniian genus Pacifigorgia (Coelenterata: Octocorallia: Gorgoniidae) from Pacific Panama, Zootaxa 541, pp. 1-15 : 3-4

Pacifigorgia catedralensis , new species

( Figs. 1A–B , 2 A–E)

Material examined. Holotype: UCR 1514, Roca Catedral, Gulf of Chiriquí, 5–15 m, H.M. Guzman, 3 May 2003.

Paratypes: MCZ 57050, same data as holotype; UCR 1515, STRI 616A, same data, but 2 May 2003.

Description. Colonies wider than high, up to 150 mm in height, and 200 mm in width, composed of multiple fans. New fans radiate from the base of the main axis or from different parts of the colony at different levels, and extend in various directions to produce complex arrangements. Colour when preserved or alive is purple, which fades when dry. Under a dissecting microscope, the surface of the branches show a layer of dark purple sclerites on a white, more densely packed layer of sclerites. Colonies develop a strong, elongate holdfast, and the fans grow directly from this, or are elevated above the substrate on short, thick stems. Network is regular and of closed meshes (about 6–7 meshes/cm²), with sizes up to 10 mm in length and 3 mm in width ( Fig. 1B ). Mesh branches are squarish in section, up to 2.0 mm thick. No distinct midribs were observed, but some thick branches at the base, up to 5 mm in width, extend for a short distance, up to 15 mm, into the fans. Endbranchlets are short, less than 2 mm in length. A few free­twigs project perpendicular to the fans, and reach up to 3 mm in length. The polyps are retracted within dome­shaped coenenchymal mounds which are slightly raised, and closely packed. They are arranged in pairs in longitudinal rows along the branches. Polyps are white with pink, and light purple rods arranged in points. Coenenchymal sclerites are mainly dark purple, white or colourless, and some partially tinted (up to half or up to three quarters of the sclerite). They are mostly wide, strongly tuberculated capstans and spindles. A combination of wide, dark purple capstans and spindles, and small colourless capstans (half the size of the large ones) was always observed in microscopic preparations. The occurrence of large, wide, anthocodial rods with smooth margins is very characteristic in this species.

Holotype. The holotype ( Fig. 1A ) is 110 mm in height, and 150 mm in width. It is formed by two main fans joined at a 90° angle, and two small secondary fans that radiate perpendicularly to one of the main fans. The colony is attached to a small basalt rock by the holdfast. The main fan rises directly from the substrate with a thick branch (5 mm in diameter) which divides in two (about 3 mm in diameter), and extends a short distance into each fan. The preserved colony is purple, with polyps partially expanded showing the anthocodial rods arranged in clearly marked points. Coenenchymal sclerites are mostly wide spindles (up to 0.12 mm in length and 0.05 mm in width) with 4–6 complete whorls of tubercles or a complex arrangement of warts, and oval forms (up to 0.10 mm in length and 0.05 mm in width) ( Fig. 2 A). Most of these sclerites have both ends rounded and blunt, but others have one or both ends more pointed. Capstans are also wide (up to 0.10 mm in length and 0.05 mm in width) with warty tubercles, some with elongated, warty ends, or asymmetric, with one blunt end and the other acute ( Fig. 2 B). Four­radiates (up to 0.06 mm by 0.06 mm) with warty tips ( Fig. 2 C), and various immature types of sclerites are commonly found when sampling ( Fig. 2 D). Anthocodial sclerites are large rods (up to 0.13 mm in length and up to 0.03 mm in width) with smooth or lobed margins ( Fig. 2 E).

Habitat. This species was the shallow dominant species at Roca Catedral, growing on basaltic rocks in strong currents, together with less abundant colonies of Pacifigorgia s mithsoniana new species.

Etymology. The species is named after the type locality, Roca Catedral.

Remarks. This species has some similarity to Pacifigorgia tabogae ( Hickson, 1928) with respect to the colour of the anthocodial sclerites (pink) and their points arrangement, but the morphology of both the colony and the sclerites is different.

Distribution. Only reported for the type locality..

Figures

FIGURE 2. Pacifigorgia catedralensis, new species (UCR 1514); SEM – micrographs of the sclerites: A – D, from the coenenchyme; E, from the anthocodia.

FIGURE 1. A – B, Pacifigorgia catedralensis, new species (UCR 1514) (preserved specimen); C – D, Pacifigorgia ferruginea, new species (STRI 423) (dry specimen); E – F, Pacifigorgia smithsoniana, new species (UCR 1406) (dry specimen); G – H, Pacifigorgia sculpta, new species (UCR 1497) (preserved specimen).