Speirogorgia, Williams, 2019

Williams, Gary C., 2019, A new genus and species of enigmatic gorgonian coral from the Ryukyu Archipelago northwestern Pacific, with a discussion of calcaxonian systematics (Cnidaria Anthozoa, Octocorallia), Zootaxa 4701 (5), pp. 417-433 : 419

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.4701.5.2

publication LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:pub:E056E767-23B7-46E8-B8C5-331FCF98ADB6

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5935636

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/FD0387A1-3419-FF96-FF18-FE1FB6EFFC6F

treatment provided by

Plazi

scientific name

Speirogorgia
status

gen. nov.

Genus Speirogorgia View in CoL gen. nov.

( Figs. 1–8 View FIGURE 1 View FIGURE 2 View FIGURE 3 View FIGURE 4 View FIGURE 5 View FIGURE 6 View FIGURE 7 View FIGURE 8 , 10 View FIGURE 10 )

Diagnosis. Gorgonian octocoral. Axis solid, continuous, presumably highly calcareous. Interior of axis uniform throughout in transverse section, without concentric lamellae or radiating pattern of wedge-shaped columns of calcareous material. Axis unjointed, quadrangular to quadrate in cross section. Polyps completely retractile into coenenchyme, calyces absent. Retracted polyps form very low conical mounds along the polypary. Coenenchymal sclerites include elongated spindles with acute ends and narrower medial waists, as well as shorter radiates. Anthocodial sclerites are small rods. Colonies azooxanthellate.

Type species. Speirogorgia robertbollandi View in CoL sp. nov.

Etymology. The generic name is derived from the Greek, speira (a winding, coil, or twist—something wound, rolled or coiled), and the suffix –gorgia (a commonly used ending in octocoral nomenclature), in reference to the coiled or spiral growth form of the holotype.

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Cnidaria

Class

Anthozoa

Order

Alcyonacea

Family

Ifalukellidae

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