Paragorgia yutlinux, JUAN ARMANDO SÁNCHEZ, 2005

JUAN ARMANDO SÁNCHEZ, 2005, Systematics of the bubblegum corals (Cnidaria: Octocorallia: Paragorgiidae) with description of new species from New Zealand and the Eastern Pacific, Zootaxa 1014, pp. 1-72 : 53-57

Paragorgia yutlinux sp. nov.

( Figs. 36–38 )

Material examined. Holotype: USNM 1073480, BC24, 50 ° 13’54”N – 128 ° 35’00”W, off British Columbia and Vancouver island, 846–861 m, (E/W Ricker, col. J. Boutillier), 12 April 2003, Canada.

Paratype: USNM 57217, 47 ° 35’48”N – 125 ° 08’42”W, 503 m, ‘John Cobb seamount’, (John N. Cobb R/V, AEC Project), 16 March 1962, Washington, USA.

Diagnostic characters. Colonies with a white cortex and pink/purple autozooid apertures. Numerous conical, semi­closed, autozooid polyp apertures uniformly/randomly distributed throughout the branches. Surface sclerites are mostly 6­radiates with long, lobulated, and smooth rays ( Fig. 37 D–G, 3 8D –I).

Description. Robust colonies, with white cortex and pink to purple autozooid apertures. Numerous conical, low, semi­closed, autozooid polyp apertures uniformly/randomly distributed throughout the branches ( Fig. 36 ). Tiny siphonozooid apertures tightly closed, not observable with the naked eye. Medulla in terminal branches, with 3–5 major canals.

Autozooid polyp tentacles with blunt ovals, similar to other Paragorgia spp., up to 0.13 mm long, regularly ornate with small conical tubercles ( Figs. 37–38 A–C). Surface sclerites mostly 6­radiates with long lobulated and smooth rays ( Fig. 37 D–G, 3 8 D –I), averaging 0.046–0.054 mm in length (0.008 SD, n=10, USNM 57217; 0.003 SD, n=10, USNM 1073480). Surface sclerites between 1.36–1.54 times longer than wide, averaging 0.03 mm in width (0.005 SD, n=10, USNM 57217; 0.002 SD, n=10, USNM 1073480). Subsurface with forms intermediate to longer spindle­like sclerites (e.g. Fig. 38 I). Medulla with slim, straight, ornate, spindles usually less than 0.25 mm in length ( Figs. 37 H, 38J).

Morphological variation. The sizes of the diagnostic sclerites, 6­radiates, showed a small but significant difference between the two examined specimens (t =2.95, df=18, P <0.01), although no notable differences in form occur (e.g., Figs. 37–38 ). Because of the small number of samples is not possible to tell if the variation is due to a gradient or not.

Distribution. Eastern Pacific Ocean: off British Columbia ( Canada) and Washington ( USA), 503–1000 m.

Species comparisons. Interestingly, externally this species is similar to species of Sibogagorgia due to the absence of aggregations of autozooids, although it is clear that P. yutlinux sp. nov. is not from that genus. The other Paragorgia species with mostly 6­radiates is P. arborea , but they are considerably smaller than P. yutlinux with different ornamentation as well. The radial ornamentation of P. yutlinux sp. nov. 6­radiates can resemble the 7­ and 8­radiates from P. alisonae but their morphologies are definitely divergent and unique in each case.

Etymology. This species is named in honour of the vanished Kwakwaka'wakw tribe, Yutlinux , from Cox and Lanz Islands, British Columbia, Canada.

Figures

FIGURE 36. Paragorgia yutlinux sp. nov.: A, holotype (USNM 1073480) (colony fragment is 7.5 cm long with a branch diameter of 6.8 mm); B, Paratype (USNM 57217).

FIGURE 37. Paragorgia yutlinux sp. nov., holotype (USNM 1073480): A – C, sclerites from the polyps (scales 10 m) (A – B are stereo pairs); D – G, typical surface sclerites (scales 10 m) (D – F are stereo pairs); H, sclerites from the medulla (scales 20 m).

FIGURE 38. Paragorgia yutlinux sp. nov., paratype (USNM 57217): A – C, typical polyp sclerites (scales 10 m) (A – B are stereo pairs); D – H, radiates from the surface (scales 10 m); I, intermediate form between the surface and internal medulla (scale 20 m); J, sclerites from the medulla (scales 100 m).