Amphisbetia distans (Lamouroux, 1816)

Dynamena distans Lamouroux, 1816: 180, pl. 5 fig. 1.

Sertularia distans – Broch 1914: 34.

Sertularia distans – Millard 1975: 306–307, fig. 99e–h. — Ramil & Vervoort 1992: 227–228, fig. 63c.

Tridentata distans – Calder 1991: 105–107, fig. 55. — Cornelius 1995: 108–111, fig. 27.

Material examined

SOUTH ATLANTIC OCEAN • 4 colonies, 4–5 mm high (3 growing on algae, 1 of them with gonothecae); Vema Seamount, stn BT5; 31°37′16″–31°36′58″ S, 8°22′37″–8°23′06″ E; 71– 94 m depth; 31 Jan. 2015; SEAFO-2015 leg.; SEAFO-2015-40377, SEAFO-2015-40437, SEAFO-2015-40768, SEAFO-2015-40912, LZM-UV slide R. 578 • 1 colony, without gonothecae; Vema Seamount, stn GRAB11A; 31°37′55″ S, 8°21′48″ E; 64 m depth; 1 Feb. 2015; SEAFO-2015 leg.; SEAFO-2015-40853 • 1 colony, without gonothecae; Vema Seamount, stn Dive 4; 91–95 m depth; 1 Feb. 2015; SEAFO-2015 leg.; SEAFO-2015-40661 .

Distribution

Amphisbetia distans was considered as a circumtropical species by Ramil & Vervoort (1992, as Sertularia distans), and circumglobal by Calder (1991, as Tridentata distans). In the southeastern Atlantic, it is known from Angola (Broch 1914, as S. distans), Vema Seamount (Millard 1966, as S. distans gracilis) and South Africa (Millard 1975, as S. distans). Its bathymetric distribution ranges from 0 (Millard 1975; Cornelius 1995, as Tridentata distans) to 826 m (Ramil & Vervoort 1992).