Swiftia Duchassaing and Michelotti, 1864

Williams, Gary C. & Breedy, Odalisca, 2016, A New Species of Whip-Like Gorgonian Coral in the Genus Swiftia from the Gulf of the Farallones in Central California, with a Key to Eastern Pacific Species in California (Cnidaria, Octocorallia, Plexauridae), Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences 63 (1), pp. 1-13 : 3-4

Swiftia Duchassaing and Michelotti, 1864

Swiftia Duchassaing and Michelotti, 1864:13 ; Kükenthal, 1924:236; Deichmann, 1936:185–186; Bayer, 1956:F206; Bayer, 1981:945; Harden, 1979:109–110; Breedy, et al., 2015:329.

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

Platycaulos Wright and Studer, 1889:61 : Bayer, 1981:945.

Callistephanus Wright and Studer, 1889:62 : Bayer, 1981:945.

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

GENERIC DIAGNOSIS.— Colonies unbranched, or sparsely to copiously branched. Branches mostly free or with some anastomoses. Polyp mounds conical, prominent, or slightly raised, scattered or crowded, usually biserial or present on all sides of polyp-bearing branches. Anthocodiae with points arrangements of straight to curved bar-like rods, or frequently elongate tuberculated spindles.

TYPE SPECIES.— Swiftia exserta (Ellis and Solander, 1786)

Key to Swiftia species in California

1a. Colonies multiply-branched................................................... 2

1b. Colonies unbranched (flagelliform, whip-like),or Y-shaped with a single branch; with low polyp mounds distributed on all sides of branches; colonies pure white in color.......................................... Swiftia farallonesica Williams and Breedy , sp. nov.

2a.Colonies mostly dichotomously branched, somewhat fan-shaped; with low polyp mounds distributed on all sides of branches; colonies pink to bright coral red in color.............................................................. Swiftia spauldingi ( Nutting, 1909)

2b.Colonies densely branched with prominent polyp mounds distributed biserially along branches; colonies red with deep red polyp mounds................ Swiftia kofoidi ( Nutting, 1909)