Pseudothelogorgia van Ofwegen, 1994

Samimi-Namin, Kaveh & McFadden, Catherine S., 2025, Integrative phylogenomic and morphological evidence for Pseudothelogorgiidae fam. nov., with a redescription of Pseudothelogorgia hartogi (Octocorallia, Malacalcyonacea), ZooKeys 1261, pp. 201-221 : 201-221

Pseudothelogorgia van Ofwegen, 1994

Pseudothelogorgia van Ofwegen, 1994: 19–21, figs 1–2 [original description, type species designated].

— Pseudothelogorgia : Samimi-Namin et al. 2011: fig. 1 [first in situ record, Gulf of Oman, 18 m depth].

= Lignella (partim): van Ofwegen 1990: 164–168 [as Lignella hartogi ; now Pseudothelogorgia hartogi ( van Ofwegen, 1990) ].

Type species.

Lignella hartogi van Ofwegen, 1990 , by original designation.

Remarks.

Pseudothelogorgia was established by van Ofwegen (1994) to accommodate Lignella hartogi van Ofwegen, 1990 , which was originally assigned to Keroeididae . The genus is distinguished from both Atlantic Thelogorgia and Indo-Pacific Keroeides by unique sclerite morphology and, as shown here, by molecular divergence.

Two specimens — USNM 49819 ( Philippines, 68 m depth) and USNM 1006517 ( Palau, 207 m depth) — were identified by F. M. Bayer and S. D. Cairns but have not been examined by us in detail. However, SEM images provided by S. D. Cairns confirm their placement in the genus. These records are currently included in Pseudothelogorgia , but given their geographic distance from the type locality, future molecular data and detailed sclerite analyses will be needed to determine whether they represent P. hartogi or closely related, distinct species.

Distribution.

Indo-Pacific, shallow to mesophotic ( 18–207 m depth).