Cladopathes plumosa Brook, 1889

Lima, Manuela M., Cordeiro, Ralf T. S. & Perez, Carlos D., 2019, Black Corals (Anthozoa: Antipatharia) from the Southwestern Atlantic, Zootaxa 4692 (1), pp. 1-67 : 15-16

Cladopathes plumosa Brook, 1889

Fig. 35

Cladopathes plumosa Brook, 1889: 157–158 , pl.2, figs. 1–4; Opresko, 2003: 498–502, figs. 1,2.

Type and type locality. BMNH 90.4 .9.26 (holotype): 46°41’S, 38°10’E, Prince Edwards Island , Indian Ocean, 558 m.

Diagnosis. “Corallum branched to the 7th order or more, shrub-like or planar. Stem and branches pinnulate and subpinnulate. Arrangement and spacing of pinnules and subpinnules very variable, especially on larger branches. On smallest branchlets primary pinnules often in clusters of three (rarely two or four), consisting of two anterolateral pinnules and one lateral (or posterolateral or posterior) pinnule. Anterior-most primary pinnules usually with one or two secondary pinnules (range zero to four). Secondary pinnules often subopposite when two occur on same primary. Lateral (posterolateral or posterior) primary pinnules usually simple, but sometimes with one or more secondary pinnules, especially on larger branches. Secondary pinnules may be present on primary pinnules even at tips of smallest branchlets. Tertiary pinnules occasionally present on some secondary pinnules on anterior primary pinnules and very rarely on secondary pinnules on posterior (or posterolateral) primary pinnules. Tertiary pinnules often directed basally relative to branch direction. Longest primary pinnules (usually lateral or posterior ones) mostly 0.5 to 1.0 cm long, but some up to 2.5 cm long, and 0.2–0.25 mm (up to 0.3 mm) in diameter near the base. Primary pinnules mostly 2–3 mm apart in each anterior row, with up to 16 pinnules per centimeter in all rows. Primary pinnules generally directed distally (straight and/or curved distally) relative to the branch on which they occur; distal angle of posterior primaries about 60º; distal angle of anterior primary pinnules 60–80º. Secondary pinnules inclined distally relative to the primary pinnule on which they occur. Spines on pinnules simple, smooth, acute, usually 0.06–0.08 mm from center of base to apex; arranged in rows, with three or four rows visible (not including spines only partially visible); mostly 0.2 to 0.3 mm apart in each row, with three to less than five spines per millimeter in each row. Central axial canal variable in size; as small as 0.1 mm in diameter at tips of pinnules and up to 0.3 mm in diameter on some branches. Polyps mostly 3–4 mm in transverse diameter with three polyps per centimeter, but sometimes as much as 5–6 mm in diameter, with only two polyps per centimeter” ( Opresko, 2003).

Distribution. Indian Ocean, Prince Edwards Island ( Brook, 1889), South Atlantic, Ascension Island (fig. 35) ( Opresko, 2003) and Great Barrier Reef, Australia ( Opresko, 2003); from 558 m ( Brook, 1889) to 1080 m depths ( Opresko, 2003).

Figures

FIGURE 35. Geographic distribution of antipatharians species occurring in the Southwestern Atlantic not analyzed in the present work.