Anthogorgia divaricata ( Verrill, 1865a:188 )

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 : 758-760

Anthogorgia divaricata ( Verrill, 1865a:188)

( Figure 3B )

Muricea ? divaricata Verrill, 1865a:188 , pl. 5, fig. 6, 6a

Anthogorgia divaricata Verrill, 1868:413 ; Wright & Studer 1889:285

Description

Blue colony branching in one plane. Branches arise from main stem or mother branch at approximately right angles. Branchlets slender, elongate, divaricate, covered irregularly and densely with prominent polyps that spread abruptly at right angles to the branches. Thin coenenchyme filled with large, thickened sclerites of, 0.8 mm. Polyp sclerites are, 0.2 mm, elongate, fusiform and arranged en chevron. Axis light grey, soft and flexible.

Type locality

Hong Kong.

Distribution

Hong Kong, Taiwan, Australia.

Remarks

One specimen (150 mm × 60 mm) was collected from Conic Island Cave.

Figures

Figure 3. Living specimens of octocorals belonging to the Acanthogorgiidae and Plexauridae. A, Acanthogorgia vegae; B, Anthogorgia divaricata; C, Muricella sp.; D, Astrogorgia sinensis and E, Menella indica. Scale bar52 cm.