Corallium cf. bayeri Simpson & Watling, 2011

Tu, Tzu-Hsuan, Altuna, Álvaro & Jeng, Ming-Shiou, 2015, Coralliidae (Anthozoa: Octocorallia) from the INDEMARES 2010 expedition to north and northwest Spain (northeast Atlantic), with delimitation of a new species using both morphological and molecular approaches, Zootaxa 3926 (3), pp. 301-328 : 314

Corallium cf. bayeri Simpson & Watling, 2011

( Figure 7 A, B, tables 1, 2)

Corallium bayeri Simpson & Watling, 2011: 7 , fig. 5, 6.

Material examined. INDEMARES 2010: Galicia Bank (northwestern Spain), 23.08.2010, Stn. DR15 , 42º29.372’N – 011º51.291’W, 1400 m, two broken fragments.

Distribution. This species was previously known only from two seamounts in the New England Seamount Chain at a depth interval of 1970–2529 m (Simpson & Watling 2011). This is the first record from the eastern Atlantic, from the ERMS, and from the European seas. The material collected from the Galicia Bank is the shallowest known occurence for the species.

Remarks. The material is very scarce and a redescription is not feasible. It consists of a fragment slightly ramified that is 80.0 mm long and 5.0 mm in diameter, and a fragment 28.0 mm long and 3.0 mm in diameter also faintly ramified. Ramification occurs in a single plane, with branches arising at acute angles; all branches are broken. There is also secondary ramification. Axis is white and slightly oval in cross-section; cross-sections of branches are almost circular ( Fig. 7 A). Most soft tissues are lacking in the sample, and there are only a few autozooids, all contracted. They are cylindrically shaped, taller than wide (1.9–2.7 mm in height x 1.4–1.9 mm wide distally), and are lobulated in the upper region. Most of the outer autozooid wall is smooth, not grooved. Siphonozooids are scarce, and occur as small (0.130–0.150 mm in diameter) circular openings in the cortex near the base of the autozooids.

Sclerites from cortex are double-clubs wider (0.045–0.064 mm) than high (0.040–0.051 mm), with heads ornamented with more or less pointed projections and sometimes also with a third head, 6-radiates 0.061–0.067 mm long and 0.042–0.049 mm wide, 7-radiates 0.077–0.090 mm long and 0.041–0.053 mm wide, 8-radiates 0.065–0.102 mm long and 0.044–0.059 mm wide, a few crosses 0.065 x 0.066 mm and irregular sclerites ( Fig. 7 B). Double-clubs are the most abundant sclerites (58%) followed by 8-radiates (26%). Many double-clubs have a characteristic shape when seen from above ( Fig. 7 B, upper row, first sclerite from the right; see also Simpson & Watling 2011, fig. 6A, third row right).

Sclerites of the autozooids are similar to those from the cortex. However, the tentacles have abundant rods with sparse thorny sculpture 0.019–0.028 mm wide and 0.095–0.114 mm long, and the pharynx has small 0.021–0.026 mm wide and 0.051–0.068 mm long, spiny rods. Cortex and polyps are white in ethanol.

We consider that the material studied herein agrees with C. bayeri as described by Simpson & Watling (2011). The colony has cylindrically-shaped autozooids, abundant double clubs (on the contrary to C. niobe ) of a characteristic morphology, irregular radiates, and spiny rods in the tentacles, all similar to the type material. Besides, there is erosion of the axis by a commensal worm, and a small unidentified anemone, similar to that observed by Simpson & Watling (2011), was found on one of the fragments. However, and given that the studied material was scarce, it has been identified with caution (cf.).

Figures

FIGURE 7. Corallium cf. bayeri Simpson & Watling, 2011, Galicia Bank, Stn. DR 15. (A) View of colony. (B) Cortical sclerites; double club (uppermost right) seen in top down view. (C) Corallium niobe Bayer, 1964, Avilés Canyon System, Stn. DR 16. Note modification of axis resulting from the presence of a commensal worm.