Identification guide to the shallow water (0 - 200 m) octocorals of the South Atlantic Bight 2599
Author
Devictor, Susan T.
Author
Morton, Steve L.
text
Zootaxa
2010
2010-08-31
2599
1
1
62
https://biotaxa.org/Zootaxa/article/view/zootaxa.2599.1.1
journal article
10.11646/zootaxa.2599.1.1
11755334
10095192
Family
Renillidae
Pennatulacea
with heart-shaped rachis containing all siphonozooids and autozooids on the dorsal surface. The stalk does not contain an axis nor does it support polyps.
This family is represented by one species in the SAB,
Renilla reniformis
.
Deichmann (1936)
divided this taxon into two forms,
americana
and
typica
based on saturation of colony and sclerite color. Colonies found on the coast of the Carolinas and north
Florida
are pale purple (forma
typica
) whereas those off the coast of South America are darker and more violet (forma
americana
).
Bayer (1961)
disputed this division, finding both pale and dark colonies in the Antilles. Both forms have been recorded in the SAB.