Eunicea, Lamouroux, 1816

Sánchez, Juan Armando, 2009, Systematics of the candelabrum gorgonian corals (Eunicea Lamouroux; Plexauridae; Octocorallia; Cnidaria), Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 157 (2), pp. 237-263 : 239-241

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.1111/j.1096-3642.2008.00515.x

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10546008

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03F28783-086E-0935-E84B-85330215FB86

treatment provided by

Felipe

scientific name

Eunicea
status

 

SUBGENUS ( EUNICEA View in CoL ) LAMOUROUX, 1816

Diagnostic character: Surface layer sclerites enlarged clubs (>> 0.1 mm) with the handle thin, conic, and multiple transversal ornamented rows.

EUNICEA PINTA BAYER & DEICHMANN, 1958 View in CoL

( FIG. 1A View Figure 1 )

Eunicea pinta Bayer & Deichmann, 1958: 232 View in CoL (holotype: USNM 50563 About USNM ).

Eunicea pinta: Shi et al., 2002 View in CoL .

Letters refer to some scanning electron micrograph images from Figure 2 View Figure 2 as examples when necessary, see also the Supporting Information.

Scale of calyx low <ring <lip <long lip <long, low is near absent and long is up to 10 mm and usually tubular, lip is when the lower part is longer than the upper, and ring is low but uniform.

Description: Colonies up to 80 cm in height with cylindrical (circular in cross section) elongated branches (2–2.5 mm diameter) (1A). Colour in alcohol or dry specimens pale beige. Branches grow continuously without ramifications up to 50 cm. No calyx in the polyp aperture, just a small prominence around the aperture. Middle layer of interpolyp coenenchyme with ornamented spindle sclerites about 1 mm long, in some instances up to 1.8 mm ( Bayer & Deichmann, 1958). Inner layer, or axial sheath, with purple sclerites exhibiting conic, stubby, and prominent lateral ornamentations. Superficial layer with abundant club sclerites (torch-like) up to 0.24 mm long, thin handle and much acute ornamentation in the head.

Diagnostic features: The anthocodial sclerites are flat rods of several sizes with some deformations. These rods are placed either on the base of the polyp or on the tentacles ( Bayer, 1961).

Distribution and habitat: Lesser Antilles, Florida, Bahamas, San Andrés I. ( Colombia), and Bermuda. Oceanic reefs in depths between 40 and 70 m.

Examined material: USNM 50563 About USNM . Holotype, (70% ETOH), North Atlantic Ocean; Bahamas, Great Bahaman Bank, between Andros and Great Exuma Islands (23° 34′ 00″N, 076° 33′ 00″W), 65 m, USFC, 12.iv.1886, Albatross R / V. USNM 57999 About USNM (70% ETOH), North Atlantic Ocean ; Bermuda, Bermuda Island (32° 06′ 00″N, 065° 05′ 00″W), 55 m, 31.vii.1964, Pillsbury R / V, University of Miami. Without catalogue number USNM, Jamaica, Discovery Bay , R. Kinzie , 1970, 45 m. GoogleMaps

USFC

U. S. Fish Commission

R

Departamento de Geologia, Universidad de Chile

V

Royal British Columbia Museum - Herbarium

USNM

Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Cnidaria

Class

Anthozoa

Order

Alcyonacea

Family

Plexauridae

Loc

Eunicea

Sánchez, Juan Armando 2009
2009
Loc

Eunicea pinta Bayer & Deichmann, 1958: 232

Bayer FM & Deichmann E 1958: 232
1958
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