Tanacetipathes hirta ( Gray, 1857 )

Wagner, Daniel & Shuler, Andrew, 2017, The black coral fauna (Cnidaria: Antipatharia) of Bermuda with new records, Zootaxa 4344 (2), pp. 367-379 : 376

Tanacetipathes hirta ( Gray, 1857)

Tanacetipathes hirta colonies are typically less than 50 cm in height and sparsely branched, with most branching tending to be in a single plane like a fan ( Figure 6a–c ). Colonies branch to the 3rd–4th order, with branches usually arising at close to right angles from the branching point. The stem and branches have 4–6 rows of primary pinnules, which are arranged biserially and in alternating groups of 2–3 along the length of the axis. The posterior primary pinnules are usually 2–3 cm long and considerably longer than the anterior primary pinnules. The secondary pinnules are usually confined to the abpolypar side of the basal section of primary pinnules. Few tertiary pinnules are present, which are restricted to the posterior side of the secondaries nearest the base of each primary pinnule. The skeletal spines are subcylindrical, inclined distally, and covered with faint papillae towards their distal half ( Figure 6e–f ). Polypar spines are typically 60–130 µm tall, whereas abpolypar spines are 50–100 µm in height ( Figure 6e ). The polyps range between 0.7–1.0 mm in transverse diameter, and are spaced 0.9–1.1 mm apart ( Figure 6d ). In situ colonies are grayish to light brown in coloration ( Figure 6a–b ). T. hirta has previously been reported from Brazil to Bermuda at depths ranging between 20–347 m ( Opresko et al., 2016; Locke et al., 2013; Opresko, 2009; Opresko & Sanchez, 2005; Loiola & Castro, 2005; Padilla & Lara, 2003; Echeverria, 2002; Opresko, 1972; Warner, 1981). The Bermudan specimens examined as part of this study were collected at a depths ranging between 122–152 m ( Table 1).

Figures

FIGURE 6. Tanacetipathes hirta from Bermuda showing (a-b) colonies in situ, (c) preserved specimen (scale bar = 5 cm), (d) polyps on a primary pinnule under light microscopy (scale bar = 2 mm), (e) skeletal spines on a primary pinnule under SEM (scale bar = 100 µm), and (f) close-up of polypar spine under SEM (scale bar = 50 µm).