Anthoptilum grandiflorum (Verrill, 1879)

Schejter, L., Genzano, G., Pérez, C. D., Acuña, F., Cordeiro, R. T. S., Silva, R. A., Garese, A. & Bremec, C. S., 2020, Checklist of Benthic Cnidaria in the SW Atlantic Ocean (54 ºS- 56 ºS), Zootaxa 4878 (2), pp. 201-239 : 226

Anthoptilum grandiflorum (Verrill, 1879)

Material examined: BBB 2016: St. 13; St. 18; St. 21. PD BB 2017: St. 31; St. 33 (MACN-In: 43488)

Distribution: Cosmopolitan (Williams 2011). Some records include: Off Namibia, Africa (23°11.8– 25°7.0’S, 12°51.6’– 13°43.5’E, 267–849 m) ( López-González & Gili 2001); Off Newfoundland, Canada (843 m) ( Baker et al. 2012); Gulf of Biscaya, 171 m ( Grasshoff 1982); Off Oregon, USA (44.00° 28.30’N, 125.00° 13.40’W, 1335–1372 m) ( Williams & Alderslade 2011); Aleutian Islands, USA ( Heifetz et al. 2005); Sars Seamount (59°42.45’S, 68°49.65’W, 520 m); off Cape Horn (57°00.33’S, 67°35.1’W, 450m) (as Anthoptilum cf. grandiflorum ) ( Auscavitch & Waller 2017); La Paloma, Uruguay (35º13’S 52º21’W, 400m) ( Castro 1990), off Buenos Aires, Argentina (41°30´S 57°20´W 439 m; 41°24´S 57°10´W 800 m as Pennatula argentina ) ( Acuña & Zamponi 1992); Malvinas Is. (52º12’S 56º51’W, 1105 m) ( Pasternak 1975); Burdwood bank ( Schejter et al. 2018).

Remarks: In the present study A. grandiflorum represented 62% of the total catch at St. 33 suggesting the presence of dense meadows at the NW slope of Burdwood bank that may fall within the habitats considered Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems ( Schejter et al. 2020). Many collected specimens had associated sea anemones of the species Hormathia pectinata (see Schejter et al. 2018).