Echinogorgia pseudosassapo Kölliker, 1865

Lam, Katherine & Morton, Brian, 2008, Soft corals, sea fans, gorgonians (Octocorallia: Alcyonacea) and black and wire corals (Ceriantipatharia: Antipatharia) from submarine caves in Hong Kong with a checklist of local species and a description of a new species of Paraminabea, Journal of Natural History 42 (9 - 12), pp. 749-780 : 763

Echinogorgia pseudosassapo Kölliker, 1865

( Figure 4B )

Echinogorgia sassapo var. reticulata Esper, 1794: 48 , pl. IXa

Echinogorgia pseudosassapo Kölliker, 1865:136

(?) Echinogorgia pseudosassapo Wright & Studer, 1889:119

Echinogorgia pseudosassapo Thomson & Henderson, 1905:292 ; Nutting 1910:64–65; Thomson & Dean 1931:205, pl. V, fig. 4, pl. XXV, fig. 4

Description

Deep red colony branching in one plane. Branches grow at right angles and upwards from the main stem or a mother branch. Polyps irregularly and densely cover colony surface. Polyps are strengthened by numerous, deep red, prominent, inbricated sclerites, which have long, sharp ends and irregularly branched bases. These sclerites are of, 0.5× 0.5 mm. Axis light brown, slender and flexible.

Type locality

Indian Ocean.

Distribution

Indian Ocean, New Guinea, South Pacific, Hong Kong.

Remarks

One specimen (170 mm × 170 mm) was collected from Conic Island Cave. This species is a new record for Hong Kong.

Figures

Figure 4. Living specimens of octocorals belonging to the Plexauridae and Ellisellidae. A, Echinogorgia sp. 1; B, Echinogorgia pseudosassapo; C, Echinogorgia sp. 2; D, Echinomuricea spinifera and E, Verrucella sp. Scale bar52 cm.