Diphasia cristata Billard, 1920

Diphasia cristata – Galea 2016: 4, fig. 1C–J.

Material examined

PACIFIC OCEAN • four colonies 2.5–4.5 cm high, two of which bearing female gonothecae; off New Caledonia, stn DW4775; 23°03′ S, 168°17′ E; 140–277 m; 28 Aug. 2016; KANACONO leg.; one colony was used for DNA extraction, DNA 1372; voucher MHNG-INVE- 120833; barcode identifier MK 073095; MNHN-IK-2015-401 • a 4 cm high colony bearing a male gonotheca; off New Caledonia, stn DW4726; 22°40′ S, 167°03′ E; 240– 181 m; 20 Aug. 2016; KANACONO leg.; MNHN-IK-2015-402 .

Remarks

The mode of branching is characteristically trifid: each stem gives rise basally to two opposite side branches that become secondary stems; each of these gives rise again, from below their basalmost pair of hydrothecae, to an opposite pair of 2 nd order branches, and the process is repeated again until 4 th order branches are obtained, as observed in material MNHN-IK-2015-401.

Distribution

Philippines, Japan, New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Fiji and Tonga (Galea 2016).