AnimaliaAlcyonaceaAcanthogorgiidaeHorvathElizabeth AnneA review of gorgonian coral species (Cnidaria, Octocorallia, Alcyonacea) held in the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History research collection: focus on species from Scleraxonia, Holaxonia, and Calcaxonia – Part I: Introduction, species of Scleraxonia and Holaxonia (Family Acanthogorgiidae)Zookeys047201986016610.3897/zookeys.860.19961 Acanthogorgia species AFigures 13, 14A, B, 15A–CType locality.

Cannot be indicated at this time.

Type specimens.

Cannot be indicated at this time.

Material examined.

1 lot (see Appendix 1: List of material examined).

Description.

Colonies (two) generally in one plane; one measures 7.0 cm × 5.5 cm (length to width); second (Figure 13) measures 9.0 cm × 4.5 cm, at widest, halfway up colony. Thin, delicate-looking branches (round to slightly square in shape); branching more or less dichotomous; closely monopodial. No flattening at branch origins. Base 2.0 mm wide, main branch 1.0 mm wide; branchlets vary between 0.5–0.75 mm wide and tips of branchlets very thin, thread-like; all branches quite stiff. Coenenchyme very thin (very little still present in these specimens); axis predominantly exposed, yellow-gold to rusty-brown. Of the few polyps present on a few branches, most located near branch tips (Figure 14A); coenenchyme and polyps creamy-white. Polyps primarily sit lateral to branch, at distance of ~1.0 mm or less from each other; closer to branch tip sitting literally side by side; some few branches indicate that polyps can be found on all sides. There are marked, longitudinal grooves/ridges at distal ends of polyps; there is barely apparent a very short little spiny crown at their very tip (Figure 14B). The ridges, eight in number, are each formed by a parallel collection of two or three bent spindle-type sclerites. Polyp surface densely covered with sclerites; no calyx apparent. Polyp height 3.0 mm, 2.0 mm from base to area of longitudinal grooves with another 1.0 mm of height when area of grooves/ridges included. All approximately 1.0 mm wide, distal end slightly wider, somewhat obvious, ~1.5 mm wide. No expanded tentacles readily visible (contracted over mouth); all heavily covered or encased by sclerites. Sclerites (Figures 15, A particularly) predominantly bent spindles; all tuberculated across entire surface, averaging 0.5 mm long by 0.08 mm wide. The largest (~0.7 mm × ~0.1 mm), decidedly bent spindles; these form the eight ridges mentioned above; others appear to lie in longitudinal direction up to and beyond upper edge of polyp, barely showing as short points of a crown. Bent spindles, somewhat smaller, almost tend to the formation of the en chevron, double-row pattern at the proximal end of ridges and down on to lower end of polyp. Also, less bent ones, seemingly very narrow spindles (0.6 mm × 0.05 mm); few appear slightly club-shaped (average 0.4 mm × 0.06 mm), primarily from lower polyp wall and coenenchyme. Sclerites with boomerang shape scarce or not present. From initial light microscopy examination, apparent that many of these spindles can be broken; many odd-shaped bits seen in arrays, with some of the spindles having oddly truncated ends, where some aspect of the sclerites likely had broken off. All forms quite densely arrayed on specimen’s surface, giving polyp and branch coenenchyme a distinct white to glassy appearance; all sclerites colorless. Inner coenenchyme radiates not found.

Acanthogorgia species A, SBMNH 423075. Of tissue present, polyps readily visible, colony measuring ~ 9.0 cm in height.

Acanthogorgia species A, SBMNH 423075. A Closer view of polyps present at tips of several branches; polyp height 3.0 mm tall, 1.0 mm broad B further magnification of polyps. Barely visible at distal end of several polyps, the weakly developed crown of sclerites can be seen.

Acanthogorgia species A, SBMNH 423075, SEM image. Sclerites from these colonies are white, rather than clear. A Coronal sclerites B, C smaller coenenchymal sclerites.

Remarks.

It is possible that these specimens, and several others in the collections either at CAS or NMNH, Smithsonian (not yet identified to species), could be first records of appearance for this species in, or near boundaries of, the California Bight. Description here is based on two specimens, which in overall colony appearance superficially look very similar to Nutting’s photographs (1912: pl 11, fig 1, 1a), shown for Muriceidescylindrica, which Nutting established as a new species. However, the sclerites illustrated in Nutting (1912: pl 20, fig 3), while of comparable size to that indicated for the species described here, do not match. In considering overall appearance of polyps on the branches, and the manner in which sclerites covered the surface of the polyps from distal to proximal ends, a generic best fit occurred working from an illustration that was given in Bayer (1956a) for Acalycigorgia. However, Fabricius and Alderslade (2001) have stated that “(m)any species of Acanthogorgia, in which the polyp sclerites are so short that there is little or no projecting crown, erroneously appear in the literature under the name Acalycigorgia Kükenthal, 1919. Acalycigorgia is actually a synonym of Acanthogorgia and most species referred to the former should be called Acanthogorgia.” This is supported in the WoRMS Data Base (Cordeiro et al. 2018e) for taxon information regarding status of the genus Acalycigorgia. It now remains to be seen if the species described here is indeed one of the 61 species listed as accepted by the Data Base.

Appendix 1

List of material examined – Part I

(Material examined = whole colony study plus multiple sclerite preparations; all with light microscopy, plus selected colonies under SEM, shown in figures associated with text)

Anthothelaargentea Studer, 1894

Material examined. No specimens in SBMNH collection.

Other material, not examined. – ±1 colony; USA, off California coast, west of Channel Islands, Fieberling Guyot, 32°27'36"N, 127°47'36"W, 490 m; coll. R/V ‘Alvin’, 10 October 1990; USNM 94428 [wet].

Anthothelapacifica (Kükenthal, 1913)

Material examined. 1 lot USA, California – 1 colony; San Diego County, edge of ridge running through Rodriquez Seamount, slightly northwest of West Cortes Basin, due west of southern tip, San Clemente Island, on sponge, 32°37'43"N, 120°05'04"W, 950–1150 m; coll. skipper of vessel ‘Calafia’ (California Department of Fish and Game – Long Beach, California), 9 August 1978; SBMNH 265939 [wet].

Other material examined. – ±1 colony; USA, California, San Diego County, San Diego, Point Loma, ~32°40'38"N, 117°15'08"W, 201–262 m; coll. R/V ‘Albatross’, 4 March 1904; USNM 49519 [wet]. (Additional label in jar indicated “Anthothelaargentea.”)

Paragorgiaarboreavar.pacifica (Verrill, 1922)

Material examined. ~2 lots USA, California – 1 branch fragment; Orange County, San Clemente Island, between Pete Bay, 3–10 miles E X (N+S) of island, ~32°55'48"N, 118°24'19"W, 1000 m; coll. unknown, 19 July 1978; SBMNH 422977 [wet]. –2 branch fragments; California, Monterey County, Monterey Bay, 5.8 miles, 314° T from Point Pinos Light to Mid Point, 36°43'00"N, 122°01'45"W, 436–809 m; coll. R/V ‘Velero IV’, stations 7462-61 or 7463-61, 10 October 1961; SBMNH 422976 [wet].

Other material examined. – 1 colony/fragment; USA, California, Ventura County, off San Nicolas Island, (from fishermen’s net); coll. unknown, March 1985; donated by R Williams, of “The Sea;” CBA #85.14.2 [dry]. -- USA, California, Monterey County, Davidson Seamount, 1,313 m; coll. unknown, 2003; USNM 1014919 [wet].

Paragorgiaregalis Nutting, 1912

Material examined. No apparent material in SBMNH collection.

Other material examined. – 1 colony fragment; USA, California, Santa Barbara County, west of San Miguel Passage on Rodriquez Seamount, 33°57'12"N, 121°08'41"W, 1,840 m; coll. unknown, 14 October 2003; USNM 1027063 [wet].

Paragorgiastephencairnsi Sánchez, 2005

Material examined. No material in SBMNH collection.

Other material examined. – 1 colony; USA, California, west of California Channel Islands, Fieberling Guyot, 36°26'00"N, 127°47'36"W, 490 m; coll. DS/V ‘Alvin’, 16 October 1990; USNM 94437 (Paratype) [wet].

Paragorgiayutlinux Sánchez, 2005

Material examined. No material in SBMNH collection.

Other material examined. – 1 colony; USA, California, west of the California Channel Islands, Fieberling Guyot, from summit of seamount, 32°26'00"N, 127°47'42"W, 487 m; coll. DS/V ‘Alvin’, 21 October 1990; USNM 90345 [wet].

Sibogagorgiacalifornica sp. nov.

Material examined. ~6 lots USA, California – 1 branch fragment; Los Angeles County, Santa Catalina Island, 7 miles WSW of Church Rock, substrate loose rock, 33°14'40"N, 118°11'10"W, 276–282 m; coll. R/V ‘Velero III’, station 1323-41, 18 May 1941; SBMNH 422971 [wet]. –1 branch fragment; Los Angeles County, 5.5 SE of Santa Catalina Island, on boulders and gravel, 33°15'30"N, 118°12'50"W, 264–273 m; coll. R/V ‘Velero III’, station 1172-40, 20 August 1940; SBMNH 422972 [wet]. –1 branch fragment; Los Angeles County, Santa Catalina Island, 6.25 miles NE or E.NE X E of Long Point, with rocks, sponges, cyclostomes, 33°25'20"N, 118°14'40"W, 415–486 m; coll. R/V ‘Velero III’, station 1400-41, 8 September 1941; SBMNH 422973 [wet]. –1–2 branch fragments; Los Angeles County, Santa Catalina Island, 5.7 miles, 123° T to West End, 33°30'55"N, 118°43'15"W, 300 m; coll. R/V ‘Velero IV’, station 24471-76, 8 March 1976; SBMNH 422974 [wet]. –multiple branch fragments; Los Angeles County, Santa Barbara Island, 6.7 miles, 330° T from N Light, dredge, tangles (2 large boulders with much small rock, rock bottom), 33°33'27"N, 119°04'00"W, 255 m; coll. R/V ‘Velero IV’, station 2062-51, 18 October 1951; SBMNH 422975 [wet]. USA, Oregon – multiple branches; Lincoln County, 55.98 miles W of coast, 44°33'30"N, 125°12'42"W, 1600 m; coll. “Oregon State University—R/V ‘Yaquina’, Cruise Y6810C,” 15 October 1968; SBMNH 422978 [wet]. –1 large colony; off coast, 46°06'22"N, 124°55'03"W, 1123 m; coll. Astoria RB-01-05, G Hendler, RV ‘Ronald H. Brown’ (NOAA) and S/V ‘Ropos’, Dive R602-Bio-0008, 3 July 2001; LACoMNH Marine Biodiversity Center #374 [wet].

Hemicoralliumducale (Bayer, 1955)

Material examined. One lot (possibly this species). USA, California – 2 colonies + fragments; USA, California, Los Angeles County, Catalina Basin, N of San Clemente Island, 33°04'49"N, 118°29'52"W, 1,091 m; coll. P Gregory, California Fish and Game, Long Beach, 15 November 1977; SBMNH 471940 [wet].

Other material examined. – 1 colony; USA, California, West of Channel Islands, Fieberling Guyot, “Sea Pen Rim,” 32°27'36"N, 127°49'30"W, 640 m; coll. DS/V ‘Alvin’, 14 October 1990; USNM 94459 [wet].

Hemicoralliumimperiale (Bayer, 1955)

Material examined. No material in SBMNH collection.

Other material examined. – multiple fragments; USA, California, Fieberling Guyot Seamount, 32°23'00"N, 127°47'00"W, ~600 m; coll. unknown, August 1989; USNM 85082 [wet].

Hemicoralliumregale (Bayer, 1956)

Material examined. No material in SBMNH collection.

Other material examined. –1 colony; USA, California, Davidson Seamount; 1,482 m; coll. unknown, 2003; USNM 1014918 [wet]. –fragment; USA, California, west of Channel Islands, Fieberling Guyot, 32°27'36"N, 127°49'30"W, 640 m; coll. DS/V ‘Alvin’, 7 December 1990; USNM 94460 [wet].

Acanthogorgiagracillimavar.typica Kükenthal, 1909

(? A.gracillimavar.lata Kükenthal, 1909)

Material examined. 1 lot USA, California – 1 colony; California, Ventura County, Channel Islands, 33°57'35"N, 119°28'34"W, 160 m; coll. M Love from submersible ‘Delta’, 8 October, 2005; with his number: A6662; SBMNH 423074 [wet].

Other material examined. – 1 fragment (multiple colonies); USA, northern Pacific Ocean, Hawaii, Cross Seamount, 18°43'55"N, 158°15'41"W, 388.56 m; coll. Smith, 10 October 2004; USNM 1071429 [dry]. –1 colony; USA, northern Pacific Ocean, Hawaii, Cross Seamount, 18°41'17"N, 158°17'58"W, 477 m; coll. RB Moffitt and EH Chave, 6 February 2003; USNM 1014741 [dry]. –multiple colonies; USA, northern Pacific Ocean, Hawaii, Necker Island, Seamount east of island, 23°13'55"N, 163°31'07"W, 1720 m; coll. A Baco-Taylor, 1 November 2003; USNM 1072361 [wet]. –(?) multiple colonies; USA, northern Pacific Ocean, Hawaii, Pioneer Bank, 25°34'27"N, 173°30'22"W, 1,743.7 m; coll. A Baco-Taylor, 9 October 2003; USNM 1072344 [wet].

Acanthogorgia species A (= ? Acalycigorgia)

Material examined. 1 lot USA, California – 2 colonies; Monterey County, Monterey Bay, from Point Piños Light to Mid Point, ~36°41'36"N, 122°01'51"W, 439–814 m; coll. R/V ‘Velero IV’, stations 7462-61 or 7463-61, 10 October 1961; SBMNH 423075 [wet].

Other material examined. – 1 colony; USA, California, off San Francisco, Mulberry Seamount, ~37°26'48"N, 123°23'22"W, 1,255–1,455 m.; coll. N/B ‘Scofield’, location 38, 13 February 1950; CAS-IZ 96671 [wet]. --1 colony; USA, Alaska, Aleutian Islands, Adak Canyon, ~51°23'29"N, 177°07'38"W, 1,728 m; coll. R Stone using ROV ‘Jason II’, project ID # J2098-4-4, 29 July 2004; [dry].

Muricellacomplanata Wright & Studer, 1889

Material examined. No confirmed identification of material in SBMNH collection.

Other material examined (Identification not confirmed). – 1 colony; USA, California, Santa Barbara County, Santa Barbara Channel, ~12 south of Santa Barbara, midway between Santa Barbara city and Santa Cruz island, oil platform (settling plates), ~34°13'39"N, 119°41'12"W, ~182 m; coll. MMS III Voucher, Survey, settling plates (incidental), station: exploratory wellsite Lease Number 0522, 6 February 1994; #0001942 [wet]. --2 colonies (2 lots); USA, California, Monterey County, Monterey Bay, Point Piños Light House, bearing S 3 degrees: distant 9.3 miles, ~36°46'14"N, 121°55'23"W, 518–649 m; coll. R/V ‘Albatross’, California Coastal Cruise 1904, Station #4461, 12 May 1904; CAS-IZ #s 5310 and 96669 [wet].

NuttingCC (1912) Descriptions of the Alcyonaria collected by the US Fisheries Steamer ’Albatross‘ primarily in Japanese waters during 1906.Proceedings of the United States National Museum43(1923): 1–104. [21 pls] https://doi.org/10.5479/si.00963801.43-1923.1BayerFM (1956a) Octocorallia, Part F. Coelenterata. In: Moore RC (Ed.) Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology. Geological Society of America and University of Kansas Press, Lawrence-Kansas, F166–F231.FabriciusKEAldersladeP (2001) Soft Corals and Sea Fans: A Comprehensive Guide to the tropical shallow-water genera of the Central-West Pacific, the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea.Australian Institute of Marine Science, Queensland, Australia, 264 pp.CordeiroRvan OfwegenLWilliamsG (2018e) World List of Octocorallia. Acanthogorgia Gray, 1857. http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=125293