Heterogorgia verrucosa Verrill, 1868

Breedy, Odalisca & Guzman, Hector M., 2011, A revision of the genus Heterogorgia Verrill, 1868 (Anthozoa: Octocorallia: Plexauridae), Zootaxa 2995, pp. 27-44 : 39-41

Heterogorgia verrucosa Verrill, 1868

( Figs. 1 D, 10–11)

Heterogorgia verrucosa Verrill, 1868: 414 ; Verrill 1869: 451 –452; Nutting 1910: 89; Kükenthal 1924: 232; Prahl et al. 1986: 27 –29.

Heterogorgia tortuosa Castro 1990: 412 –415.

Material examined. Lectotype (here designated): YPM 1554a, MCZ 730 (fragment of YPM 1554a), dry, Pearl Islands, Gulf of Panama, depth not given, F. H. Bradley, 1866–1867.

Paralectotypes: YPM 1554b, MZC 36014 (two slides of YPM 1554b), dry, Pearl Islands, Gulf of Panama, depth not given, F. H. Bradley, 1866–1867; YPM 1644 a–b, ethanol preserved, Pearl Islands, Gulf of Panama, depth not given, F. H. Bradley, 1866–1867.

Other material. COSTA RICA: UCR 1715 (5), 1713 (8), preserved in ethanol, Diablillo, Caño Island, 27–30 m, O. Breedy and H. Guzman, 30 January 2007; UCR 1716 (2), preserved in ethanol, Caño Island, 30 m, O. Breedy, 1 January 2007; UCR 1848, preserved in ethanol, Bajo Hector, Caño Island, 33 m, H. Guzman and O. Breedy, 3 August 2007; UCR 1857, 1868 (4), preserved in ethanol, Bajo Mixta, Golfo Dulce, 15 m H. Guzman and O. Breedy, 7 January 2009; UCR 1860, Bajo Diablo, Caño Island, 24 m, O. Breedy, 18 February 2000; UCR 1861, Paraíso, Caño Island, 25 m, O. Breedy, 18 February 2000; UCR 1866, Nicaragua Rocks, Golfo Dulce, 10 m, O. Breedy, 2 August 2004; UCR 1880, preserved in ethanol, Tolinga islet, Nicoya Gulf, 18–20 m, J. Cortés and O. Breedy, 22 November 2002; UCR 1882, preserved in ethanol, Velas Cape, Baulas Marine National Park, 17 m, J. Cortés, 5 October 2006; UCR 1883, Ballena 50 H003, preserved in ethanol, Ballena Rock, Ballena Marine National Park, 18 m, O. Breedy, 28 April 2003; UCR 1884, dry, Cabeza de Mono, Culebra Bay, 20 m, O. Breedy, 1999; UCR 2091, MA80B, preserved in ethanol, Olucuita islet, Manuel Antonio National Park, 20 m, O. Breedy, 5 April 2005. ECUADOR: IIN 2, dry, Tambip, Reserva de Producción Faunística Marino Costera Puntilla de Santa Elena, 12–14 m, F. Rivera, P. Martínez, R. Nebot and O. Breedy, 20 July 2010; IIN 37, dry, Gigima, Reserva de Producción Faunística Marino Costera Puntilla de Santa Elena, 12–14 m, F. Rivera, P. Martínez, R. Nebot and O. Breedy, 22 July 2010; IIN 102, dry, Los Ahorcados Islet, Provincia de Manabí, 10–12 m, F. Rivera, P. Martínez, R. Nebot and O. Breedy, 25 July 2010; GALÁPAGOS ISLANDS: CDRS Ang 8, ethanol preserved, Española, 12 m, A. Chiriboga, 23 April 2003. PANAMA: UCR 1552, UCR 1850, UCR 1857, preserved in ethanol, Jicarita, 20–22 m H. Guzman, 19 April 2007; UCR 1851, preserved in ethanol, Jicarita, 20–22 m H. Guzman, 19 April 2002; UCR 1852(2), preserved in ethanol, Frailes sur, 20–25 m H. Guzman, 12 December 2001; UCR 1867, preserved in ethanol, Jicarita, 25 m H. Guzman, 19 April 2002; STRI 253, dry; Passage Island, Chiriquí Gulf, 15 m, H. Guzman, 20 April 2002; STRI 323, dry, Frijol Islet, 5–15, H. Guzman, 24 April 2002; STRI 304, dry, Bajo Viuda, 30 m, H. Guzman, 23 April 2002.

Description of the lectotype. It is a small, 4.5 cm tall, deteriorated colony ( Fig. 10 C) and a separate branch, 5 cm long ( Fig. 10 A), that was part of the original specimen YPM1554a. The colony is composed of three broken stems, up to 5.3 mm in diameter that are kept together by the remains of the spreading holdfast, which is 3 cm in diameter. The branches bifurcate several times in a lateral irregular manner. Calyces are up to 1.2 mm tall and 1.4– 1.6 mm diameter and they are evenly distributed around the two branches that still have calyces; 22–25 calyces/cm. On the branches, the calyces are about 0.5 mm apart, but they are more sparsely distributed on the holdfast and at the base of the branches where they are about 2 mm apart ( Fig. 10 A). The anthocodial armature consists of strong collaret and points. The collaret is composed of 4 rows of long curved spindles, 0.35–0.56 mm long and 0.05–0.1 mm wide, that are covered with small spines ( Fig. 11 A). The points are composed of 3–4 pairs of spiny spindles arranged en chevron ( Fig. 11 B). They are 0.27–0.51 mm long and 0.045–0.05 mm wide, and several of them have a bifurcated end. The calicular rim has two whorls of projecting thorns, 0.23–0.46 mm long and 0.056–0.08 mm wide, measured at the proximal end, that have rather blunt tips ( Fig. 11 C). Coenenchymal sclerites comprise small tuberculate radiates and irregular warty ovals ( Fig. 11 E), 0.08–0.11 mm long and 0.05–0.06 mm wide; crosses 0.058–0.07 mm, with tuberculate arms or tuberculate all over; and spindles ( Fig. 11 D) 0.15–0.43 mm long and 0.06–0.18 mm wide, which are variable in shape and can be branched, which have axes straight or bent, and ends acute or irregularly tuberculate. Tentacles bear thorny rods and crescents 0.14–0.24 mm long, and 0.03–0.08 mm wide ( Fig. 11 F).

The colour of the colony is ivory.

Variability. The paralectotypes are up to 7 cm tall and about the same wide, and all are very consistent with the lectotype. Some variation in the diameter of the branches has been observed, but the shape of the calyces and their distribution is consistent in all colonies.

The other material examined consists of colonies that are up to 12 cm tall and 15 cm wide, composed of three to four stems (4–5 mm diameter) that arise from a common encrusting holdfast and bifurcate about 1–3.5 cm above the base. The branching is lateral and irregular; the branches sprout at different angles and ascend parallel to the main stem, some are bent at the ends ( Fig. 10 B). The coenenchyme is thin and firm with a granulose appearance. The polyps are retractile into calyces up to 1.2 mm tall and 1.8 mm diameter and are evenly distributed around the branches, 25–30 calyces/cm and 0.5 mm apart, but more scarcely distributed on the holdfast and at the base of the branches where they are about 2 mm apart ( Fig. 10 B, D). The sclerites are consistent in shape and size within the type series and the rest of collection.

The colour of the colonies is whitish to beige or brownish in ethanol or dry preserved, and when alive, the coenenchyme looks reddish and the polyps are bright yellow ( Fig. 1 D).

Remarks. Castro (1990) synonymised H. tortuosa with H. verrucosa based on a syntype of the H. tortuosa YPM 1555 series. Later, Breedy & Guzman (2005) listed differences between these two species after examining the complete syntype series of H. tortuosa (YPM 1555a–d). We examined a large collection of specimens in this group and found sufficient character differences ( Table 2 ) to allow us to retain H. tortuosa as it was proposed by Verrill (1868). Compared to H. verrucosa , H. tortuosa has a more irregular branching pattern, branches are more flattened and shorter and the calyces are more distantly placed and more acute. Also, the coenenchyme of H. verrucosa is more granular in appearance than in H. tortuosa due to more warty sclerites and/or their arrangement. Collaret and points in both species are composed of sclerites with similar sizes, but they are more sculpted, thorny and warty in H. verrucosa . Moreover, collaret and point sclerites are also differently arranged; in H. verrucosa there are 4 rows and 3–4 pairs respectively, and in H. tortuosa 2–3 rows and 2–3 pairs ( Table 2 ).

The type series mostly consists of colonies in bad condition, and specimen YPM 1554a was selected as the lectotype of H. verrucosa to establish the species identity.

In addition to Costa Rica, and Panama, we recently found this species at the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, Prahl et al. (1986) reported this species from Gorgona Island and Málaga Bay, Colombia.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Submarine photographs: (A – B) H. hickmani, Galápagos Islands, Ecuador (Photographs by H. P. Hickman); (C) H. tortuosa, Coiba Island, Panama; (D) H. verrucosa, Coiba Island.

FIGURE 10. Heterogorgia verrucosa: (A) fragment of the lectotype, MCZ 730; (B) UCR 1715, colony; (C) lectotype colony, YPM 1554 a; (D) UCR 1715, detail of a branch.

FIGURE 11. Heterogorgia verrucosa, lectotype, YPM 1554 a, sclerites: (A) collaret spindles; (B) point spindles; (C) thorns; (D) spindles; (E) radiates and irregular warty ovals; (F) tentacular rods.