Corallimorphus profundus Moseley, 1877

Rodríguez, Estefanía & López-González, Pablo J., 2013, <strong> New records of Antarctic and Sub-Antarctic sea anemones (Cnidaria, Anthozoa, Actiniaria and Corallimorpharia) from the Weddell Sea, Antarctic Peninsula, and Scotia Arc </ strong>, Zootaxa 3624 (1), pp. 1-100 : 83-87

Corallimorphus profundus Moseley, 1877

( Figs. 41 , 46–47 ; Table 18; Appx. 1, 2)

Corallimorphus profundus Moseley 1877 ; Hertwig 1882a, b; Andres 1883; Hertwig 1888; Carlgren 1899; Stephenson 1920b; Stephenson 1922; Carlgren 1928; Carlgren & Stephenson 1929; Carlgren 1949; Grebelny 1975; Fautin 1984; Fautin et al. 2002; Hartog & Grebelny 2003; Riemann-Zürneck & Iken 2003; Fautin 2011b.

Corallimorphus antarcticus Carlgren & Stephenson, 1929 : Carlgren 1949; Grebelny 1975.

MATERIAL EXAMINED

Polarstern ANT XIX/5 : stn. PS61/194–1 (AMNH-4681, 1 specimen) ; stn. PS61/196–1 ( BEIM: ANT-4708, 3 specimens; AMNH-4682, 1 specimen); stn. PS61/207–1 ( BEIM: ANT-4688, 1 specimen; AMNH-4685, 1 specimen; AMNH-4709, 2 specimens; AMNH-4683, 1 specimen); stn. PS61/214–1 ( BEIM: ANT-4686, 1 specimen) ; stn. PS61/217–1 ( BEIM: ANT-4689, 1 specimen; AMNH-4690, 1 specimen); stn. PS61/223–1 ( BEIM: ANT-4680, 1 specimen; AMNH-4684, 1 specimen; BEIM: ANT-4687, 2 specimens) .

TABLE 18. Size ranges of the cnidae of Corallimorphus profundus Moseley, 1877 and C. rigidus Moseley, 1877 ; for comparative cnidae data of the species see Fautin (1984) and Riemann-Zürneck and Iken (2003). Χ: mean. SD: standard deviation. S: ratio of number of specimens in which each cnidae was found to number of specimens examined. N: total number of capsules measured. F: Frequency, +++ = very common, ++ = common, + = rather common, --- = sporadic. Abbreviations: Mc, Microbasic. (*) Mean values based in fewer than 40 capsules.

(1) Named as hoplotelic Mc. p -mastigophores by Fautin (1984). (2) Named as lanceolate basitrichs by Riemann-Zürneck and Iken (2003). DIAGNOSIS

Pedal disc well developed without basilar muscles, typically attached to stone. Column cylindrical, short, to 27 mm height and 34 mm diameter; column translucent with purple to pink background and gelatinous in consistency in living specimens; mesenterial insertions visible. Oral and pedal discs about same diameter (to 48 mm). Preserved specimens beige to tan. Sparse brown cuticle may persist in pedal disc. Oral disc with raised lips around slit mouth; with long, capitate tentacles; acrospheres white in living specimens. Marginal tentacles (40–74) in exocoels shorter than the ones in endocoels. Discal tentacles (12–21) short (to 10 mm long), in approximately 2.7–6.2:1 marginal:discal ratio. No marginal sphincter muscle. Mesenteries thin, to 33 pairs, arranged in four cycles, only first cycle perfect. Retractor muscles diffuse. Cnidom: Spirocysts, agarocysts (?), holotrichs, basitrichs, and microbasic b - and p -mastigophores. For a detailed description of Corallimorphus profundus , see Fautin (1984) and Riemann-Zürneck & Iken (2003).

GEOGRAPHIC AND BATHYMETRIC DISTRIBUTION

Corallimorphus profundus is known circumpolarly in the Antarctic and sub-Antarctic regions, but also northern to the sub-Antarctic region limits, in the southeast Pacific, between 30– 3,685 m depth ( Fautin 1984, 2011b; Riemann- Zürneck & Iken 2003).

The specimens of Corallimorphus profundus from this study were from the Scotia Arc , along the South Sandwich Islands, Herdman and Discovery banks, to the South Orkneys Islands, between 278–589 m depth.

Corallimorphus profundus is a southern hemisphere deep-sea species from continental shelf and bathyal depths ( Fig. 41d ).

REMARKS

We found in the mesenterial filaments of several specimens a nematocyst similar to those described by Pires (1997) as agarocysts; these cnidae have previously been reported only for Scleractinia. Although agarocysts were common in three of the five specimens studied, their presence in this species might be an artefact of contamination.

Figures

FIGURE 41. Distribution map of species. a) Actinauge verrillii McMurrich, 1893. b) Hormathia armata Rodríguez & López- González, 2001. c) Hormathia lacunifera (Stephenson, 1918). d) Corallimorphus profundus Moseley, 1877. e) Corallimorphus rigidus Moseley, 1877. Green triangles, type locality; green circles, previous localities; red circles, localities from this study; dark line, Subtropical Front; light line, Polar Front.

FIGURE 46. External anatomy of Corallimorphus profundus Moseley, 1877. a–b) Lateral view of living specimens [AMNH- 4681], [AMNH-4690]; note the oral tentacles and the larvae inside the coelenteron and marginal tentacles. c–d) lateral view of preserved specimens [BEIM(ANT-4683)]; note the larvae inside the marginal tentacles. Scale bars: a, 30 mm; b–d, 20 mm.

FIGURE 47. Cnidae of Corallimorphus profundus Moseley, 1877. a, c, g, j) Microbasic p-mastigophores. b, d, f, k) Microbasic b-mastigophores. e) Spirocyst. h, i, l) Holotrichs. m) Agarocyst. Note g is at different scale.