Paragorgia coralloides Bayer, 1993

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 : 29

Paragorgia coralloides Bayer, 1993

( Fig. 16 )

Paragorgia coralloides Bayer 1993: 2 .

Material examined. Holotype: USNM 50891, 01°54´00”S – 127°36´00”E, 602 m, 0 3 Dec 1909, (Albatross R/V), Obi Islands, Gomumu Island, Indonesia ( Moluccas), Ceram Sea,

Diagnostic characters. Globular 8­radiate derived sclerites in the surface layer with some radial ornaments subdivided in non­globular lobes ( Fig. 16 B–D).

Description. Colonies with slender branches down to 21 mm in diameter ( Bayer 1993). Autozooid polyps in clusters. Autozooid polyp tentacles contain spindles less than 0.1 mm in length, irregularly ornate ( Fig. 16 A). Surface of the cortex, including autozooid aperture, with unusually globular and hypermorphic radiates (mostly 8­radiate derived) up to 0.055 mm averaging 0.0435 mm in length (±0.003 SD, n=10) ( Fig. 16 B–D). Surface radiates about 1.638 times longer than wider, averaging 0.029 mm in width (±0.002 SD, n=10). Despite radiates have some globular and larger rays, one side of radiates remains with smaller multilobular ornaments. Medulla with ornate spindles, rather short, up to 0.15 mm in length ( Fig. 16 E).

Morphological variation. The number of radial ornaments of the sclerites of the surface layer, a diagnostic character, can be highly variable in number but most radiates present such a character.

Distribution. Pacific Ocean: Palau Gomumu (Obi Major) ( Bayer 1993).

Species comparisons. Bayer (1993) suggested that P. coralloides radiates are indistinguishable from those from Corallium spp. Although there is a great resemblance, P. coralloides do not form asymmetrical opera­glass sclerites (e.g., Bayer 1956: Fig. 7 ), where typically lateral rays are enlarged. P. coralloides usually have the proximal and distal rays enlarged. Nonetheless, the tentacle sclerites somewhat resemble those from Corallium spp., which brings up a possible phylogenetic connection between Corallium and Paragorgia . See also P. tapachtli sp. nov.

Figures

FIGURE 7. Paragorgia arborea (Linnaeus) (NIWA Z 10920): A – B, stereo pairs of the sclerites from the polyps (scale 10 m); C – D, radiate sclerites (stereo pairs) from the colony surface (scales 10 m); E, sclerites from the colony medulla (scales 100 m); F, additional sclerites from the colony surface and intermediates towards the medulla (scales 10 m).

FIGURE 16. Paragorgia coralloides Bayer (USNM 50891): A, sclerites from the polyps (scales 10 and 20 m); B – D, radiate sclerites from the colony surface (scales 10 m) (C – D are stereo pairs); E, sclerites from the colony medulla (scales 20 m).