Muriceopsis Aurivillius, 1931

Sánchez, Juan A., 2007, A new genus of Atlantic octocorals (Octocorallia: Gorgoniidae): systematics of gorgoniids with asymmetric sclerites, Journal of Natural History 41 (9 - 12), pp. 493-509 : 499

Genus Muriceopsis Aurivillius, 1931

Colonies with cylindrical branches and polyps placed irregularly all over the branches ( Figure 5A, B ). Slightly bent spindles with robust wart ornamentation with conic spindles ( Figure 6 ). Type species Muriceopsis tuberculata Aurivillius. Tropical western Atlantic Ocean: Muriceopsis flavida , M. petila , M. sulphurea , and M. bayeriana ( Sánchez 2001) ; tropical eastern Atlantic (Africa): M. tuberculata ( Grasshoff 1992) .

Figures

Figure 5. Photographs of gorgonian corals from gorgoniids with asymmetrical spiny sclerites (Clade 3) in their natural environment or dry preserved. (A) Muriceopsis flavida (Lamarck) (Caribbean Sea, Bocas del Toro, Panama´; 15 m); (B) M. bayeriana Sánchez (Caribbean Sea, Bocas del Toro, Panama´; 2 m); (C, D) Pinnigorgia platysoma (Nutting) (Northern Territory Museum, Darwin, Australia; C11674; C12123); (E) P. flava (Nutting) (C11661). (C–E) Courtesy: Phil Alderslade.

Figure 6. SEM stereopairs of Muriceopsis sulphurea Donovan (USNM 5298), Brazil. (A) Detail from (C) of the warts from sclerites of the surface coenenchyme; (B–H) different forms from the sclerites of the surface. Scale bars: 0.01 mm (A); 0.1 mm (B–D, F, H); 0.02 mm (E, G).