Halophytophilus lopheliae sp. nov.

Type locality: North-East Atlantic Ocean, Porcupine Seabight, Boxcore Bbc01-1205 (Belgica Cruise 01/12), 51°25.9290’N 11°46.2717’W, 880 m, collected on 7 May 2001.

Type material: (a) From type locality (sample of underlying sediment): holotype female, dissected on 12 slides (COP 7013); allotype male, dissected on 9 slides (COP 7014); paratype 1 is one female dissected on 6 slides (COP 7015); paratype 2 is one female dissected on 8 slides (COP 7016); 2 female paratypes preserved in 75% alcohol (COP 7017).

(b) From type locality (sample of dead coral fragment): paratype 3 is one female dissected on 12 slides (COP 7018); paratype 4 is one female dissected on 7 slides (COP 7019); paratype 5 is one female dissected on 9 slides (COP 7020); paratype 6 is one male dissected on 5 slides (COP 7021); 1 male and 3 female paratypes preserved in 75% alcohol (COP 7022).

Additional material: (a) North-East Atlantic Ocean, Porcupine Seabight, Boxcore Bbc00-1605 (Belgica Cruise 00/16), 51°24.824’N 11°45.932’W, 1000 m, collected on 17 June 2000: one male dissected on 5 slides (COP 7023) and 4 females and 4 males preserved in 75% alcohol (COP 7024), sampled from dead coral fragment; one male preserved in 75% alcohol (COP 7025), sampled from underlying sediment.

(b) North-East Atlantic Ocean, Porcupine Seabight, Boxcore Bbc00-1604 (Belgica Cruise 00/16), 51°24.802’N 11°45.924’W, 1005 m, glass sponge skeleton, collected on 17 June 2000: 2 males preserved in 75% alcohol (COP 7026).

(c) North-East Atlantic Ocean, Porcupine Seabight, Boxcore Bbc01-1205 (Belgica Cruise 01/12), 51°25.9290’N 11°46.2717’W, 880 m, sample of dead coral fragment, collected on 7 May 2001: 2 females and 1 male preserved in 75% alcohol (first author’s collection).

(d) North-East Atlantic Ocean, Porcupine Seabight, Boxcore Bbc03-1304b (Belgica Cruise 03/13), 51°23.454’N 11°39.901’W, 646 m, sediment sample of upper first centimetre (from boxcore without coral fragments), collected on 25 May 2003: 1 male preserved in 75% alcohol (first author’s collection).

Etymology: The specific name refers to the peculiar substrate on which the species was found, namely dead fragments of the cold-water coral Lophelia pertusa (Linnaeus, 1758) .