Victorgorgia josephinae, Lopez Gonzalez & Briand, 2002

Moore, Kirrily M., Alderslade, Philip & Miller, Karen J., 2017, A taxonomic revision of Anthothela (Octocorallia: Scleraxonia: Anthothelidae) and related genera, with the addition of new taxa, using morphological and molecular data, Zootaxa 4304 (1), pp. 1-212 : 130

Victorgorgia josephinae Lόpez-González & Briand, 2002

( Figs. 98–99 )

Ƒictorgorgia josephinae Lόpez-González & Briand, 2002: 97 –105, Figs. 1–6 .

Material examined. Holotype: MNHN OCT.2008 -0004, Josephine Bank, SW of Portugal, Victor cruise, PL 28/ 0 5, 37.8°N, 14.017°W, depth 1500 m, 14th August 1998.

Description: The holotype is in good condition and the characteristics of the colony, calyces, polyps and sclerites are as described by Lόpez-González & Briand. The sclerites from the tentacle rachis are almost exclusively josephinae clubs ( Fig. 98 A). They are arranged with the clubbed tip distad and projecting out from the tentacle, as pictured in Fig. 2 D–F of Lόpez-González & Briand’s description. The pinnules are crowded with longitudinally positioned, straight, narrow, sparsely tuberculate sticks and spindles and clubs along with smaller josephinae clubs that are less-developed than those in the tentacle rachis ( Fig. 98 B). According to Lόpez-González & Briand, the sclerites from the tentacles range from 0.19–0.48 mm long which generally concurs with measurements taken here (0.16–0.43 mm long). The authors did not distinguish between sclerites from the tentacle rachis and those from the pinnules.

All other sclerites in the holotype are well-represented in the figures of Lόpez-González & Briand’s description excepting those from the calyx. The latter do not significantly differ from those found in the points and collaret and in the cortex (Lόpez-González & Briand (2002) Figs. 6 A; 5B respectively), consisting of straight, tuberculate sticks and spindles without clavate or modified tips ( Fig. 99 ). The size range is 0.35–0.57 mm long.

Remarks: The description and figures in the original form a functional portrayal of Victorgorgia josephinae and do not need significant revision. However, a more extensive figure of pinnule and tentacle sclerites from the holotype is necessary to assist in the delineation of V. josephinae from the newly added species.

The so called “hockey-stick” sclerites in the tentacles ( Fig. 6 B of Lόpez-González & Briand and Fig. 98 A here) are common in the genus and an important part of the delimiting features of this species. However, these sclerites do not match those pictured as “hockeystick spindles” in Bayer et al. (1983) so herein they have been named josephinae clubs.

Other species in this genus are distinguished from V. josephinae mainly by sclerite differences. The three species transferred to Victorgorgia have only fragmented holotypes, thus a direct comparison of colony form is not possible. V. alba n. comb. (= A. nuttingi ) and V. macrocalyx n. comb. have squat rods on the tentacle rachis and very few josephinae clubs, while V. argentea n. comb. has large, straight, dense clubs in the top of the points and along the tentacle rachis. Of the other species added to the genus herein, V. eminens n. sp. is magenta to deep purple (while V. josephinae is cream with purple polyps) and has simple, tuberculate sticks and spindles on the tentacle rachis mixed with only a few josephinae clubs, and V. nyahae n. sp. has highly modified, robust and thorny josephinae clubs and spiky thorn clubs in the pinnules, tentacle rachis and in the calyx.

Figures

FIGURE 1. A. Cross-section of the holotype of Ƒictorgorgia eminens n. sp. showing extensive boundary canals which frequently anastomose and distinct central canals in the medulla; B. Cross-section of the holotype of Anthothela grandiflora showing boundary canals, adjacent but separate, and a medulla lacking any obvious central canals; C. Extended polyp of the holotype of A. aldersladei n. sp. showing polyp, calyx, points and collaret; D. Partly extended polyp of A. quattriniae n. sp. showing polyp head, calyx, points and collaret and, on right, a fully retracted polyp; E. Spatulate clubs found in Anthothela.

FIGURE 2. A. Josephinae clubs found in the pinnules and tentacle rachis of Ƒictorgorgia and Lateothela n. gen.; B. Spindles (93 – 95), needles (86 – 87) and bars (88 – 89) from Bayer et al. 1983, Plate 16; C. Sticks.

FIGURE 3. Sclerite forms found in the points, calyx and cortex of Anthothela and Ƒictorgorgia species.

FIGURE 4. Anthothela grandiflora (Sars, 1856), holotype: A. Holotype fragments; B. Polyps and branches.

FIGURE 5. Anthothela grandiflora (Sars, 1856), holotype: A. Terminal polyp bunch (a. fully retracted polyp); B. Partly retracted polyp; C. Cross-section of decalcified medulla; D. Cross-section of medulla.

FIGURE 6. Anthothela grandiflora (Sars, 1856), holotype, sclerites: Point and collaret (a. sclerites with slightly more developed tips).

FIGURE 98. Ƒictorgorgia josephinae Lόpez-González and Briand, 2002, holotype, sclerites: A. Tentacle rachis; B. Pinnule.

FIGURE 99. Ƒictorgorgia josephinae Lόpez-González and Briand, 2002, holotype, sclerites: Calyx.