Armadillogorgia albertoi, Cerino, Nadia & Lauretta, Daniel, 2013

Cerino, Nadia & Lauretta, Daniel, 2013, Armadillogorgia albertoi sp. nov.: a new primnoid from the Argentinean deep sea, Zootaxa 3741 (3), pp. 369-376 : 370-374

Armadillogorgia albertoi sp. nov.

Figs. 2–4 .

Type material. Holotype: MACN-IN 39212-I, 1 colony, 155 miles off Buenos Aires, Argentina St. Nº38 (37º 59,308'S; 54º 25,207'W), May 2013, 1099 m. Paratypes: MACN-IN 39213-II & -III, 2 colonies, off Buenos Aires, Argentina St. Nº38 (37º 59,308'S; 54º 25,207'W), May 2013, 1099 m; MACN-IN 39214-I, II & III, 3 colonies and 3 SEM stubs (from MACN-IN 39214-I) with sclerites and polyps, off Buenos Aires, Argentina. St. Nº16 (37º 57.288’ S; 54º 23.456’ W), August 2012, 1307 m; MACN-IN 39215-I & -II, 2 colonies, off Buenos Aires, Argentina. St. Nº36 (37º 57,508'S; 54º 23,989'W), May 2013, 1289 m; Invertebrate collection of MLP-Oi 3807, 1 colony, off Buenos Aires, Argentina. St. Nº42 (37º 59,110'S; 54º 41,136'W), May 2013, 877 m; MLP-Oi 3808, 1 colony, off Buenos Aires, Argentina. St. Nº35 (37º 54,045'S; 54º 24,091'W), May 2013, 1245 m; MLP-Oi 3809, 1 colony, off Buenos Aires, Argentina. St. Nº41 (38º 01,631'S; 54º 30,275'W), May 2013, 997 m.

Description. Colonies unbranched (flagelliform). Specimens range from 13 to 116 cm in height (holotype 25 cm), just one have a holdfast ( Fig. 2 D). Whorls of polyps not beginning immediately above the holdfast ( Fig. 2 AD). Live colonies light pink. Stem 1–4 mm in diameter (holotype 1 mm) without polyps, 4.5–7.5 mm with polyps (holotype 4.5 mm). Calyces in whorls of up to 15 polyps, 2–7 mm tall (holotype 3–5 mm), facing upward ( Figs. 2 A, 3A), adaxial side of calyces adnate to stem; 10–15 whorls per 4 cm of axis (holotype 13 whorls). Polyp tip folds over polyp base of the anterior whorls ( Figs. 2 C, 3A). Adaxial scales not in ordered rows ( Fig. 3 G). Distal most body scales (abaxial and adaxial scales) not differentiated to form an operculum or marginal scales. The polyp tip is a simple, unadorned pore ( Fig. 3 C). The top of circumoral sclerites are big and rectangular shape, smooth with proximal side (to the base of the polyp) tuberculate and lanceolate scales on the bottom ( Fig. 4 C). Abaxial scales decrease in size from polyp tip to base; abaxial surface of polyp covered by two rows of 44–55 thin imbricated sclerites ( Fig. 3 E). These cover only the abaxial half of the body contour ( Fig. 3 DF). Sclerites meet in an alternating (zigzag) pattern on the calyx abaxial midline ( Fig. 3 E). Outer surface of sclerites curved and expanded ( Figs. 3 D, 4A). This trait gives sclerites a J-shape covering upper lateral edge of the polyp body ( Fig. 3 D). Distal area of inner surface of scales smooth with tuberculate proximal area ( Fig. 4 A). Each lateral of polyps and adaxial surface with lanceolate sclerites overlapping one another ( Figs. 3 G, 4B). Coenenchyme composed of two layers of sclerites; outer layer have two different shape, goblet-shaped sclerites and oval sclerites with inner surface tuberculate and outer surface smooth ( Fig. 4 D), inner layer consists of tuberculate spheroids ( Fig. 4 E).

Etymology. Nadia Cerino named the species after Dr. Alberto Cerino, grateful for having shown her how to love life, nature and freedom and for teaching her by example to fight without giving up. She is who she is because of him.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Colony of Armadillogorgia albertoi sp. nov. A. complete specimen; B. Proximal part of colony; C. Detail of polyp organization; D. complete colony (holotype). A (MACN-IN 39214 - I); B – D (MACN-IN 39214 - I).

FIGURE 3. Colony and polyp morphology. A. Colony, lateral view; B. Colony, up-side view; C. Polyp, oral pore view; D. Polyp, detail of lateral side, E. Polyp, abaxial view; F. Polyp, lateral view; G. Polyp, adaxial view. A (MACN-IN 39214 - II); B – G (MACN-IN 39214 - II).

FIGURE 4. Scales from Armadillogorgia albertoi sp. nov. (MACN-IN 39214 - I), indicating inner or outer view when this views were different. A. Abaxial scales; B. Adaxial scales; C. Circumoral scales; D. Coenenchymal scales from outer layer; E. Coenenchymal scales inner layer. o, outer view of scale; i, inner view of scale; l, lateral view of scale.