Anthogorgia Verrill, 1868

Williams, Gary C., 2018, Illustrated Key and Synopses of Shallow-water Gorgonians and Pennatulaceans of the Central Philippines, Part 2 (Cnidaria: Anthozoa: Octocorallia), Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences 64 (13), pp. 361-398 : 365

Genus Anthogorgia Verrill, 1868

Anthogorgia spp.

Figures 5 , 6 , 7 , 8

MATERIAL EXAMINED.— CASIZG 207505; Philippines, Romblon Province, Cobrador Island (12.65170 N 122.23086 E); 20 m depth; 20 February 2010; coll. G.C. Williams; one partial colony wet-preserved in 95% ethanol. CAS 222412; Philippines, Luzon, Batangas Province, Caban Island, Kirby’s Rock (13.69°N 120.84°E); 30 March 2017; coll. G.C. Williams; one partial colony wet-preserved in 95% ethanol.

REMARKS.— These are mostly planar sea fans often up to or exceeding 0.5 m in height with lateral branching. The coenenchyme is relatively thick giving the branches a thicker appearance compared to most other sympatric sea fans. The polyps are non-retractile and conspicuous, often tall and cylindrical or domelike in shape. Colony color deep orange to reddish brown, tips of polyps often yellowish. Polyp and coenenchyme sclerites are robust spindles with numerous tubercles covering the entire surface. Many of these tubercles are strongly displayed — large and rounded to oval in shape.

SPECIES.— The genus Muricella Verrill, 1968 , is quite similar to Anthogorgia and may eventually be shown to be synonymous with it (Fabricius and Alderslade 2001). There are 34 described species that are currently recognized as belonging to Muricella , and thirteen described species in Anthogorgia, Serveral species may be present in the Philippines. There has been a considerable amount of confusion in past literature with superficial similarities regarding other gorgonian genera such as Muricella ( Acanthogorgiidae ), Astrogorgia ( Plexauridae ), and Nicella ( Ellisellidae ) pertaining to the gross morphology of whole colonies.

OCCURRENCE AND DISTRIBUTION.— Infrequently encountered on coral reef slopes in the central Philippines. The genus is known from throughout much of the Indo-West Pacific.

REFERENCES.— Fabricius and Alderslade (2001); Grasshoff (1999); Grasshoff (2000); Grasshoff and Bargibant (2001); Ofwegen (2010d).

Figures

FIGURE 5. Anthogorgia sp. indet. Underwater photographs, Calumpan Peninsula, March/April 2017. A. Anthocodiae retracted into the domelike proximal parts of the polyps. B. Anthocodiae fully expanded from the cylindrical proximal parts of the polyps.

FIGURE 6. Anthogorgia spp. Wet-preserved specimens. A. Anthogorgia sp. 2, partial colony (CASIZG 207505), scale bar = 50 mm. B. Anthogorgia sp. 1, partial colony (CASIZG 222412), scale bar = 30 mm.

FIGURE 7. Anthogorgia sp. 1. Scanning electron micrographs of sclerites from the polyp walls and surface of the coenenchyme (CASIZG 222412), scale bar = 0.20 mm.

FIGURE 8. Anthogorgia sp. 2. Scanning electron micrographs of sclerites from the polyp walls and surface of the coenenchyme (CASIZG 207505), scale bar = 0.03 mm.