Echinogorgia sp. b

(Figs. 7 c–d, 11–12)

Material: RMNH Coel. 38770, four colonies, Farur Island, coll. S.A. Mohtarami; RMNH Coel. 38771, one colony, Strait of Hormuz, Qeshm Island, 18 May 2006.

Description. The depicted colony (Fig. 7 c) is 8 cm high and 10 cm wide, growing on a piece of rock. It branches loosely, more or less in one plane; branches are very slender, about 1 mm wide. Polyps are situated all around the branches, the calyces are very low, hardly protruding above the coenenchyme.

Polyps are retracted, having few, almost smooth sclerites, up to 0.15 mm long (Fig. 11 a). We could not see a clear difference between collaret and point sclerites.

Surface layer of the coenenchyme has thornscales, most up to 0.25 mm long, a few 0.40 mm long; additionally a few unilaterally spinose spindles are present (Figs. 11 c, 12a). The inner layer with spindles, up to 0.45 mm long, many heavily branched (Figs 11 b, 12b). Furthermore, small derivatives of capstans are present, most up to 0.05 m long (Fig. 11 d).

Colour. Colony ochre, sclerites yellow.

Variability. The other three colonies from Farur Island are similar to the one here described. The colonies from Qeshm Island (Fig. 7 d) are yellow, more loosely branched with slightly wider branches, but have sclerites similar to RMNH Coel. 38770.

Remarks. This species differs from species-a above in lacking anastomoses, being yellow to ochre in colour, and in having smaller polyp spindles and interior capstan derivatives, and in having interior spindles which are more branched.