Eugorgia querciformis Bielschowsky, 1929

Breedy, Odalisca, Guzman, Hector M. & Vargas, Sergio, 2009, A revision of the genus Eugorgia Verrill, 1868 (Coelenterata: Octocorallia: Gorgoniidae), Zootaxa 2151, pp. 1-46 : 29

Eugorgia querciformis Bielschowsky, 1929

Figure 14 , Plate 10A–C

Eugorgia querciformis Bielschowsky, 1918: 45 (nomen nudum); Bielschowsky 1929: 183 –184; Kükenthal 1919: 916; Kükenthal 1924: 346 –347.

Material examined. Holotype: ZMHC 4873, ethanol preserved, Acajutla, El Salvador, no further data.

Description. According to Bielschowsky the holotype was a colony, 11 cm in height, and 33 cm in width; it was composed of two main branches, compressed, about 7 mm in diameter, that subdivide from a 3.2 cm long stem, producing a flabellate colony, that was attached to the substratum by an incrusting holdfast. We examined a fragment 10 cm in height, and 6 cm in width (Plate 10A). Branching is lateral and irregular; branches subdivide up to 4 times in an irregular dichotomous manner. Branches are slightly compressed, 2.5–3 mm in diameter, branchlets are 2 mm in diameter, unbranched final twigs reach up to 3 cm long. Polyps are evenly distributed all around the branches, closely placed. They retract within slightly raised polypmounds leaving small oval apertures (Plate 10B). Colony is reddish purple (Plate 10A, B). Coenenchymal sclerites are all red; they are mostly double discs reaching up to 0.08 mm in length, and 0.05 mm in width (Plate 10C, Fig. 14 ). Spindles reach up to 0.13 mm in length, and 0.05 mm in width, with 3–5 whorls of tubercles. Some spindles have slightly bent ends ( Fig. 14 ). Crosses and barrel-like sclerites occur in the sclerite samples. No anthocodial sclerites were found in the samples.

Distribution. Known only from the type locality, Acajutla, El Salvador ( Table 4).

Figures

FIGURE 14. Eugorgia querciformis, holotype, coenenchymal sclerites.