Eugorgia alba 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 : 11-13

Eugorgia alba Bielschowsky, 1929 comb. nov.

Figures 3 A–C, 4

Eugorgia bradleyi var. alba Bielschowsky, 1929: 177 –178; Kükenthal 1924: 345.

Material examined. Holotype: ZMHC 2243, ethanol preserved, Acajutla, El Salvador, no further data.

Description. The holotype is a small colony, 5 cm in height and 3 cm in width. Branching is irregularly dichotomous ( Fig. 3 A). Two main branches arise from a short stem, 1.2 cm long, and subdivide up to three times. The holdfast is missing from the holotype, but from Bielschowsky’s illustration (1929: plate 3, fig.15) it seems incrusting. Branches are slightly compressed in cross section, 3 mm in diameter at the base and tapered, more rounded at the branchlets. Branchlets are up to 2 mm in diameter. Unbranched final twigs reach up to 3 cm with pointed tips, about 1 mm in diameter. Polyps retract within slightly raised polyp-mounds with oval apertures ( Fig. 3 B). Polyp-mounds are distributed in 2–4 longitudinal rows on the branches, and sparsely placed. Colour of the colony is white. Sclerites of the coenenchyme are mostly colourless, some with a pale pink hue. They are mostly double discs reaching up to 0.075 mm in length, and 0.06 mm in width ( Fig. 3 C, 4). Spindles reach up to 0.13 mm in length, and 0.05 mm in width, with 4–6 whorls of tubercles, with ends mostly acute. No anthocodial rods were found in the samples.

Distribution. Known only from the type locality ( Table 4).

Remarks. Bielschowsky (1929) described this species with a specimen from the coast of El Salvador and assumed it to be a variety of E. bradleyi . Although the holotype is the sole specimen of this species and thus we cannot consider intera-specific variability; we consider that the differences between E. bradleyi and E. bradleyi var. alba are sufficient to regard them as different species. Moreover, there are no records of E. bradleyi from the coast of El Salvador at present, but exploration there has been minimal. External morphology and colour of E. alba are very consistent with Leptogorgia alba Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864 ; however, the sclerites, and especially the presence of double discs in of the former, places it in this different genus.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Eugorgia alba, holotype: A, colony; B, detail of branches; C, coenenchymal sclerites.