Pinnigorgia Grasshoff and Alderslade, 1997

Sánchez, Juan A., 2007, A new genus of Atlantic octocorals (Octocorallia: Gorgoniidae): systematics of gorgoniids with asymmetric sclerites, Journal of Natural History 41 (9 - 12), pp. 493-509 : 501

Genus Pinnigorgia Grasshoff and Alderslade, 1997

( Figure 7 )

Pinnate colonies ( Figure 5C–E ). Similar diagnostic characters to Muriceopsis ( Figures 5A, B , 6 ). Spiny spindles from the surface always bent; spines flattened ( Figures 7 , 8 ). Type species Plexaura flava Nutting. Indo-Pacific reefs ( Pinnigorgia flava [Nutting], P. platysoma [Nutting], and P. perroteti [Stiasny]), Indonesia, Timor Sea, Great Barrier Reef, Micronesia, and the Philipines ( Fabricius and Alderslade 2001).

Figures

Figure 5. Photographs of gorgonian corals from gorgoniids with asymmetrical spiny sclerites (Clade 3) in their natural environment or dry preserved. (A) Muriceopsis flavida (Lamarck) (Caribbean Sea, Bocas del Toro, Panama´; 15 m); (B) M. bayeriana Sánchez (Caribbean Sea, Bocas del Toro, Panama´; 2 m); (C, D) Pinnigorgia platysoma (Nutting) (Northern Territory Museum, Darwin, Australia; C11674; C12123); (E) P. flava (Nutting) (C11661). (C–E) Courtesy: Phil Alderslade.

Figure 6. SEM stereopairs of Muriceopsis sulphurea Donovan (USNM 5298), Brazil. (A) Detail from (C) of the warts from sclerites of the surface coenenchyme; (B–H) different forms from the sclerites of the surface. Scale bars: 0.01 mm (A); 0.1 mm (B–D, F, H); 0.02 mm (E, G).

Figure 7. SEM stereopairs of Pinnigorgia flava (Nutting). (A–C) C11661, scales; (D–F) P. USNM 92320. Scale bars: 0.02 mm (A–C, E, F); 0.01 mm (D).

Figure 8. SEM stereopairs of Pinnigorgia platysoma (Nutting). (A–C) C12123; (D–F) C11674. Scale bars: 0.01 mm (A–C, E, F); 0.02 mm (D).