Pseudodrifa nigra ( Pourtalès, 1868 )

Devictor, Susan T. & Morton, Steve L., 2010, Identification guide to the shallow water (0 - 200 m) octocorals of the South Atlantic Bight 2599, Zootaxa 2599 (1), pp. 1-62 : 31

Pseudodrifa nigra ( Pourtalès, 1868)

( Figure 30A,B )

Nephthya nigra Pourtalès, 1868:130

Paraspongodes nigra .—Ma, 1900:148

Eunephthya nigra .— Verrill 1883:44.— Kükenthal 1906:77.— Kükenthal 1907:350.—Deichman, 1936: 60; Plate 1 fig. 7; Plate 4 figs. 5–13; Plate 27 figs. 1–2.— Bayer 1961:55; Figs. 9j , 10g –i .

Pseudodrifa nigra . — Utinomi 1961:241. — Cairns et al. 2002:33.

Material examined. USNM 55234 , 70– 95 m, SE of Charleston , SC, July 28, 1964 .

Remarks. This soft coral is generally found in deeper water along with other members of the Nephtheidae , and it is included in this guide based on one record. Pseudodrifa nigra is easily distinguished by the dark brown color (dull brown or gray in ethanol), pale longitudinal grooves from polyp tips to polyp base, and sclerites set en chevron along the length of the polyps. The stalk is short and fleshy with dozens of polyps crowded on a few very short branches. Sclerites from the coenenchyme are tuberculate rods, and the polyp walls contain clubs with foliate heads reaching 0.5 mm in length. This species has been found on Lophelia pertusa rubble and Keratoisis ornata colonies in deeper areas.

Atlantic distribution: South Carolina to the Florida Keys, Bahamas, Cuba, 60–1153 m ( Deichmann, 1936; Bayer, 1961; Utinomi, 1961; NMNH collections; SERTC collection).

Figures

FIGURE 9. a) Pseudodrifa nigra, basal disc indicated; b) holdfast of Muricea pendula; c) encrusting colony of Scleranthelia rugosa (from Bayer 1981a).

FIGURE 10. a) Sclerobelemnon theseus peduncle indicated; b) Renilla reniformis, peduncle indicated; c) Virgularia presbytes, leaf-like structures indicated; d) Stylatula elegans, showing two polyp leaves (modified from Bayer, 1958).

FIGURE 30. A, Pseudodrifa nigra (USNM 55234) sclerites; a, b) foliated clubs from polyp wall; c–g) sclerites from stalk (scale bar = 0.05 mm); B, Pseudodrifa nigra (live specimen), base width approximately 27 mm; C, Nidalia occidentalis (live specimen, S1384), height approximately 20 mm; D, Nidalia occidentalis (S1384) sclerites; a, b) large spindles from capitulum; c, d) small spindles from capitulum; e–g) small platelets from polyp; h–j) spindles from polyp (scale bar for a, b = 0.2 mm; c, d, h–j = 0.1 mm; e–g = 0.02 mm).