Lophelia pertusa ( Linnaeus, 1758 )

Reyes, Javier, Santodomingo, Nadiezhda & Cairns, Stephen, 2009, Caryophylliidae (Scleractinia) from the Colombian Caribbean, Zootaxa 2262 (1), pp. 1-39 : 21-22

Lophelia pertusa ( Linnaeus, 1758)

Fig. 4A

Madrepora pertusa Linnaeus, 1758: 797 .

Madrepora prolifera Pallas, 1766: 307 .

Lophelia prolifera Cairns, 1979: 125–127 , pl. 24, figs. 1–5, Map 34 (description and synonymy); 1981: 10.— Viada & Cairns, 1987: 132.— Zibrowius, 1988: 136 (listed).—Prahl & Erhardt, 1989: 547.— Cairns et al., 1991: 47 (listed).— Cairns et al., 1994: 4 (listed).

Lophelia pertusa Zibrowius, 1980: 126–130 , pl. 66, figs. A–L (description and synonymy).—Cairns, 1994: 27–28, pl. 9, figs. e–i.—Lattig, 2000: 131–132, fig. 71.— Kitahara, 2007: 502–503, fig. 4A–B.

Remarks: L. pertusa is the principal azooxanthellate coral builder of deep-sea bioherms in the Atlantic, reaching the major development in the northeastern Atlantic off the Norwegian coast ( Reed 2002). In Colombia, only fossil specimens have been collected off La Guajira, suggesting that L. pertusa may have built bioherms in the past, although it is also possible that living assemblages of Lophelia could occur at deeper surrounding areas. Further studies should be done in order to establish the actual status of their populations in Colombian waters. Our specimens present a thin and slender skeleton.

Distribution: Worldwide distribution, from the equator to the sub-polar regions, more abundant in the North hemisphere; from 40 to 3000 m depth (e.g. Freiwald & Roberts 2005). In Colombia, L. pertusa is only known in the northeastern coast, off Honda Bay and off Carrizal Point, both located in the surrounding areas of the Rancheria Canyon; from 300 to 450 m depth.

Material: USNM 46016, P-776; INV CNI 396, 5 colony fragments, E10; INV CNI 397, 3 colony fragments, E10; INV CNI 723, 1 colony fragment, E91.

Figures

FIGURE 4. A, Lophelia pertusa, INV CNI396, off La Guajira (Honda Bay), colony fragments, x 1; B–C, Oxysmilia rotundifolia, INV CNI687, off San Bernardo Islands, calicular and lateral views, both x 1.1; D–E, Colangia immersa, INV CNI683, off La Guajira (Punta Gallinas), calicular and lateral views, both x 3; F–G, Phyllangia americana americana, INV CNI274, off La Guajira (Caricari Point), colony from calicular and oblique views, both x 2; H–I, Rhizosmilia maculata, INV CNI178, off Santa Marta, calicular and lateral views, both x 3.6; J–K, Phacelocyathus flos, INV CNI2940, off San Bernardo Islands, calicular and lateral views, both x 3.6; L–M, Anomocora fecunda INV CNI2897 off San Bernardo Islands, calicular and lateral views, x 3.2, x 1, respectively; N–O, Anomocora prolifera, INV CNI2725, off San Bernardo Islands, calicular view showing rejuvenescence stage and lateral view, both x 4.4; P–Q, Anomocora marchadi, INV CNI2303, off La Guajira, calicular and lateral views, both x 3.6; R, Coenosmilia arbuscula, INV CNI855, off San Bernardo Islands, branching pattern, x 1.5; S–T, Heterocyathus antoniae, paratype, INV CNI2076, off Manaure, calicular and lateral views, both x 4.5; U–W, Heterocyathus antoniae, INV CNI740, holotype, off Santa Marta (Neguanje Bay): U, basal view showing sipunculid holes, V, calicular view, and W, lateral view, all x 4.5. Scale bars for A–C, M, R = 1 cm; D–L, N–Q, S–W = 5 mm.