Verrucella, Milne-Edwards and Haime, 1857

Lam, Katherine & Morton, Brian, 2008, Soft corals, sea fans, gorgonians (Octocorallia: Alcyonacea) and black and wire corals (Ceriantipatharia: Antipatharia) from submarine caves in Hong Kong with a checklist of local species and a description of a new species of Paraminabea, Journal of Natural History 42 (9 - 12), pp. 749-780 : 768

Verrucella sp.

( Figure 4E )

Description

Red colony with branches that ramify in one plane. Terminal branches are short and those in the centre of the colony sometimes fuse to produce a net-like fan. Other branchlets are free. The main stem starts to ramify at approximately 40 mm above the basal disc and loses its prominence. The branchlets usually ramify at approximately right angles to the mother branch. Polyps monomorphic and contractile. Sclerites red, spindle-shaped, covered with warts and swollen at both ends, size, 0.1 mm.

Distribution

Indo-Pacific.

Remarks

One specimen (250 mm × 180 mm) was collected from Conic Island Cave.

Figures

Figure 4. Living specimens of octocorals belonging to the Plexauridae and Ellisellidae. A, Echinogorgia sp. 1; B, Echinogorgia pseudosassapo; C, Echinogorgia sp. 2; D, Echinomuricea spinifera and E, Verrucella sp. Scale bar52 cm.