Olindagorgia gracilis ( Verrill, 1868a ) Castro & Medeiros & Loiola, 2010

Castro, C. B., Medeiros, M. S. & Loiola, L. L., 2010, Octocorallia (Cnidaria: Anthozoa) from Brazilian reefs, Journal of Natural History 44 (13 - 14), pp. 763-827 : 808-811

Olindagorgia gracilis ( Verrill, 1868a) comb. nov.

( Figures 1 , 20A,A′ , 21)

Pterogorgia gracilis Verrill 1868a: 359 , pl. IV, figs. 2, 2a, 3 [specimens a, b and d, but not specimen c = Leptogorgia pseudogracilis sp. nov.]; Kükenthal 1924: 354.

Gorgonia gracilis: Verrill 1869b: 424 ; Hartt 1870: 209–210; Verrill 1912: 393.

Gorgonia (Pterogorgia) gracilis: Bielchowsky 1929: 222 .

Pterogorgia bipinnata (part): Deichmann 1936: 195–196, pl. 21, figs.1–16 [non Pterogorgia bipinnata Verrill, 1864 ].

Pseudopterogorgia marcgravii Bayer 1961: 255 , text-fig. 82; Tixier-Durivault 1970: 159.

Leptogorgia setacea (part.): Bayer 1961: 218–220, figs. 67, 68a–d [non Gorgonia setacea Pallas 1766: 182 ].

Olindagorgia marcgravii: Bayer 1981c: 922 .

Diagnosis

Similar to the genus diagnosis. The genus is currently considered monotypic.

Description

Colonies small, multiplanar with short, more rigid branches or planar with long, less flexible branches; sparsely lateral or loosely pinnate branching ( Figure 20A ). Branches variable, from round or nearly so in transverse section (1–2 mm thick) to flattened. Coenenchymal mounds from distinctly convex, laterally flattened structures, sometimes acute on top, to absent or as slight swelling of coenenchyme around polyp apertures; coenenchymal mounds often with colour different from surrounding coenenchyme. Polyps in longitudinal rows on opposite sides of branches ( Figure 20A′ ). Usually, coenenchymal mounds of adjacent polyps contiguous on the upper part of colonies, while lower part of colonies without polyps. Coenenchyme with scaphoids and tuberculated spindles (up to 0.18 mm long) ( Figure 21B,D ). Larger scaphoids (up to 0.18 mm long) slightly curved, with tapering ends (although sometimes with blunt ends) and massive tubercles on concave side and several kinks on convex side. Smaller scaphoids (c. 0.1 mm long) with smoother convex side and ends more rounded. Spindles with tubercles similar to those of concave side of scaphoids, a stout axis, and tapering towards both ends. Anthocodial armature mainly with small, simple rods, cigar-shaped or with median waist; and extremities with small granules clustered near the ends of rods and lobed or dented margins or with no conspicuous protuberances or other prominent sculptures; these may be slightly flattened (up to about 0.07 mm long) ( Figure 21A,C ). Largest elongated colony size: 180 mm high, 80 mm wide and 22 mm deep; basis 2.8 mm thick; transverse section of terminal branches about 1.9 × 0.8 mm. Similar measurements on largest bushy specimen: 78 mm high, 73 mm wide, 68 mm deep; basis 2.5 mm thick; transverse section of terminal branches about 1.4 × 0.9 mm. Colony colour (live or fixed): all cream white, yellow, all purple, with yellow, purple, or white coenenchymal mounds; or mix of these colours. Sclerites colour: purple, yellow, light yellow, or colourless.

Material

Brazil: Paraíba ( USNM 50228 ) ; Bahia ( MNRJ 01837 , 02753 , 04306 , 04308 , 04309 , 04315 , 04316 , 04317 ; UFPb 291; YPM 1516 a,b,d syntypes of Pterogorgia gracilis Verrill, 1868a ) ; Espírito Santo ( MNRJ 00494 , 00495 , 00496 , 00497 , 00499 , 00641 , 01141 , 01142 , 03983 ) ; Rio de Janeiro ( MNRJ 04827 ) .

Comparative material

Pterogorgia bipinnata Verrill, 1864 – Venezuela, Cumaná ( MCZ 5080 – type material).

Type depository

The original type material is lost ( Simpson 1910; Deichmann 1936). Simpson (1910: 326) used a specimen from the Museum of the Royal College of Surgeons (Reg. 184), belonging to an ancient collection (Hunterian Collection and labelled as “ Gorgonia elongata ”, as a reference for the species, which he implicitly designated as neotype.

Type locality

Abrolhos Reefs, Brazil, collected by C. F. Hartt ( Verrill 1868a: 359) .

Geographic distribution

Off the north-eastern and eastern coast Brazil: recorded off Paraíba, Pernambuco ( Tixier-Durivault 1970), Bahia (Abrolhos area), Espírito Santo and Rio de Janeiro States ( Tixier-Durivault 1970: proximity of Guanabara Bay) ( Figure 1 ).

Remarks

Several authors ( Kükenthal 1924: 354; Bielchowsky 1929: 222; Deichmann 1936: 175, 195) compared Pterogorgia gracilis , with Pterogorgia bipinnata Verrill, 1864 (= Pseudopterogorgia Kükenthal, 1919 ). However, sclerites of these species are clearly different, as well as their colony forms. The scaphoids of P. bipinnata possess fused tubercles on the convex side, forming continuous transversal ridges; its ramification is profuse and regularly pinnate along main stems.

Bayer’s specimens of Pseudopterogorgia marcgravii are juvenile colonies ( Bayer 1961). Larger colonies deposited in the Museu Nacional, Rio de Janeiro, agree in detail in sclerite form and size, distribution of polyps and most colonial characters. Bayer (1961: 255) stated that polyps are 2–4 mm apart, but later ( Bayer 1981c: 922) did not mention this characteristic in the diagnosis of a new genus, Olindagorgia , for which Pseudopterogorgia marcgravii is the type species by original monotypy. Furthermore, the distance between coenenchymal mounds cannot be taken as a reliable character because several paratypes of P. marcgravii (USNM 50229) possess contiguous coenenchymal mounds.

Type specimens of Pterogorgia gracilis Verrill, 1868a showed diagnostic characteristics of Olindagorgia . Some specimens had rounded or flattened branches, different degrees of stoutness of coenenchymal scaphoids and spindles, and different states of sculpture of anthocodial rods. Large series of specimens showed intermediate forms or specimens with both character states. As we could not find any discontinuous characters to distinguish Olindagorgia marcgravii from O. gracilis , their synonymy is hereby proposed.

Figures

Figure 1. Map of distribution of reef octocorals in different regions off the Brazilian coastline. The Espírito Santo State area (*) includes the Vitória- Trindade seamount chain. “BA Sector” refer to a division of reef areas in Bahia State by Leão (1996).

Figure 20. Olindagorgia gracilis (Verrill, 1868a) (MNRJ 01837): (A) colony, (A′) branches. Phyllogorgia dilatata (Esper, 1806) (MNRJ 00478): (B) colony, (B′) branches. Ellisella elongata (Pallas, 1766) (MNRJ 1841): (C) fragment, (C′) closer view near basis of fragment, (C′′) closer view near distal end of fragment. Scale bars: A–C, 2 cm; A′–C′, C′′, 5 mm.

Figure 21. Sclerites of Olindagorgia gracilis (Verrill, 1868a) [YPM 1516a – syntype (A, B), MNRJ 00641 (C, D)]: (A, C) anthocodia, (B, D) coenenchyme.