Swiftia torreyi (Nutting, 1909)

Horvath, Elizabeth Anne, 2019, A review of gorgonian coral species (Cnidaria, Octocorallia, Alcyonacea) held in the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History research collection: focus on species from Scleraxonia, Holaxonia, Calcaxonia - Part III: Suborder Holaxonia continued, and suborder Calcaxonia, ZooKeys 860, pp. 183-306 : 207-209

Swiftia torreyi (Nutting, 1909)

Swiftia torreyi Nutting, 1909: 721 pl 89 (figs 1, 2), pl 90 (fig. 5) [= Psammogorgia torreyi Nutting, 1909].

Type locality.

[USA], California, Monterey Bay, 36°38'00"N, 121°55'00"W (bearing S 78°E, 6.8 miles) off Point Piños light-house, 755-958 fm [1373-1742 m].

Type specimens.

Holotype USNM 25433, [wet]; specimen was examined.

Material examined.

None of the material examined (~16 lots) came from the SBMNH collection (see Appendix 3: List of material examined).

Description.

Colonies strictly flabellate (usually), ~15-30 cm tall, ~16-17 cm in breadth. Branches commonly anastomosed; branches dense, closely spaced. Main stem bears branches on opposite sides separated by distance of 4.5 mm to +7.0 mm; branches generally thin (no more than 1.0 mm wide) in appearance. The whole forms a loose reticulation, somewhat comparable to that seen in a few species of the genus Pacifigorgia , such as P. gracilis ( Kükenthal, 1924). Polyp mounds slightly truncated to (commonly) tubular cones, 1.0 mm high or less, can be as wide as high; extended polyp can add ~1.0 mm to height; distributed primarily on sides of branches, ~2.0 mm or less apart on one lateral side. In front view, there appeared to be two opposite rows, but can be alternate; body and tentacles of polyps tend to bend (curl) toward front of colony somewhat, giving appearance of numerous polyps on the colony’s front, when just a very few, scattered, are present; often back of colony without polyps or very few. Curling of polyp body and polyp tentacles gives colony a somewhat lacy look. Color of living colony dark, purplish-red (maroon), deep brick red to nearly black throughout; when placed in alcohol, tends to nearly black. Sclerites warty spindles, generally; those on stem, branches smaller than those on polyps. Largest appear to be those in polyp walls and basal parts of tentacles; large, warty, fusiform, sometimes curved, arranged longitudinally, extending downward in meridional bands to near base of polyps. Smaller spindle-types almost with appearance of a radiate (capstan) shape; some few almost appear as disk spindles. Some few club-shaped sclerites, nearly all of which are the warty, fusiform type. Rods (fingerbiscuit shape) very conspicuous, when present, though not always numerous; generally not heavily warted; most sclerites rich reddish-purple; conspicuous rods vibrant pumpkin orange. The color combination of purple-red and orange is unmistakable.

Etymology.

Named in honor of Dr Harry B Torrey from the University of California.

Common name.

Dwarf red gorgonian.

Distribution.

From MBARI, CAS and Moss Landing Marine Lab (MLML) collection data, found in Monterey Bay ( ‘Albatross’ stations 4514, 4537, 4546). Range may extend from northern-most end of California Bight to areas off mid-Washington coast (Quinault Canyon, 47°28'59"N, 125°11'45"W; some specimens listed as this species may be S. pacifica ; further examination required). If specimens, identified as this species off Oregon and Washington coasts, are actually S. pacifica , then range for this species from at least Rodriquez Seamount, ~ 33°59'16"N, 120°59'52"W (west of San Miguel Passage) to Pioneer Seamount (~ 37°17'44"N, 123°29'58"W) off California; there are ample records at MBARI for sightings of this species in the region between these two seamounts. NMNH records extend the range up through Oregon and Washington, as far north as the mouth of the Strait of Juan de Fuca (48°32'42"N, 124°52'44"W). A recent collection by Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary (2008), with specimen collected at ~ 47°55'16"N, 125°30'00"W, 429 m, was examined, confirming species does extend up into waters of Washington State. As well, one specimen (apparently this species, not examined) was collected from San Diego, Point Loma, at 201-262 m [USNM 49522]. This would put the species in the Bight, but identification may be incorrect. Species most commonly found in the region of Monterey Bay.

Biology.

MBARI records would indicate a moderately deep-water form (1,029-2,200 m). It also seems to prefer steep walls of seamounts based on collection details.

Remarks.

A brief description is included here as this species is often confused with others in the genus by field investigators, when simply viewing colony morphology in situ (it has been found just north of the California Bight’s upper geographic limit), and completes, to date, descriptions for all colored species within the genus Swiftia currently known to exist in the waters along the western North American continent.

In minor ways, previously published descriptions roughly matched that published for Muricella complanata Wright & Studer, 1889; Harden (1979) listed M. complanata as synonymous with this species, and an unpublished Bayer annotation noted: " Muricella complanata = a Swiftia ?" Overall, however, descriptions did not match. A brief study of CAS specimens identified by Harden was undertaken, but did not sufficiently clear up his proposed synonymy. For two specimens identified by Harden as this species, one had no locality data; the other was from Monterey Bay. Identifications made by Harden often proved problematic. While definitive specimens with correct identification were needed, was not able to locate specimens with confirmed identification as Muricella complanata in any of the research collections examined so as to compare known specimens of Swiftia torreyi against it; study of new material, which needs to be collected, is required. As well, Harden (1979: 171, unpublished PhD dissertation) did designate Psammogorgia torreyi Nutting, 1909 (= Swiftia torreyi Nutting, 1909). Cordeiro et al. (2018) does show P. torreyi with accepted status, but that as well, Swiftia torreyi is also given accepted status (Cordeiro et al. 2019). Based on a number of descriptions given for members of the genus Psammogorgia and Bayer and Deichmann’s (1960) statement regarding the marine province where Psammogorgia is likely to be found, specimens examined and studied, identified as Swiftia torreyi , cannot be synonymously identified with any Psammogorgia species. At the time that Bayer and Deichmann were working (1960), they suggested that Psammogorgia would not/does not occur anywhere outside of the Panamanian province, which then encompassed the area from Cape Blanco, Peru to Lower Baja California, including the Gulf of California ( Verrill 1868a, b, c, 1870). As discussed in current literature ( Briggs and Bowen 2011), there now exists a California Transition Zone (CTZ), within the Oregon province, extending from Monterey, California to Los Angeles; the California province then extends from Los Angeles to Magdalena Bay, Mexico. Running south of Magdalena Bay around the tip of the Baja California Peninsula, and including all of the Gulf of California, is the Cortez province, with the Panamanian province now extending from the mouth of the Gulf of California to the Gulf of Guayaquil on the border between Ecuador and Peru. Specimens of Swiftia described in this work barely make an appearance in upper portions of the California province, but appear no further south, based on a review of all the collection location data for all specimens examined. What is of interest is their appearance in the upper California province, the CTZ and the northeastern Pacific province. In any event, that still definitively puts all specimen/species of the genus Psammogorgia outside of the California Bight, either in the Cortez or Panamanian provinces.

Bayer (unpublished annotations) contemplated differences between this species, S. kofoidi and S. pacifica ; his comments do not entirely fit with what has been determined for the species here, and in Nutting’s 1909 description. However, he stated that the species is a "slender form,..." whereas S. kofoidi is "stouter than torreyi ..." (this can be confirmed). "Similar to Callistephanus pacificus Nutting, 1912, pg. 96." " P. pacificus is Swiftia pacifica , a brighter red species, with more robust branches, found commonly in waters of Washington and Alaska (bathyal North Pacific). S. pacifica is, generally, comparatively more sparsely-branched, with distinctive bar-like sclerites on the anthocodiae and eight-radiates," than is this species.

Several portions of statements in the discussion section of Breedy et al. (2015: 332) were of interest. Those sections read much the same as several statements this author made regarding the above five species of Swiftia in an earlier, pre-revision draft of this volume submitted for review in the spring of 2014. It was interesting to see those comments used as contrast for the new Chilean species that was described.

In the MLML collection, one specimen (C0072) of this species was found; the orange rod sclerite form, generally seen below the tentacles, and anastomosing branches were present (a note furnished with the specimen made a point of the distinctive rods). Two others were labeled as such, but either color was markedly off or, more significantly, branching pattern did not match (no branch anastomoses). Of the MBARI specimens examined, at least six appeared to be this species. Some were originally identified as S. kofoidi , but it is fairly certain they are this species; the deep purple-red color is a consistent characteristic, along with many anastomosed branches. As well, presence (or absence) of the vibrant orange rods was a telling feature; if other colonies seen in videos were collected, they should be examined for their sclerites. Overall, colony C0072 has a very distinct deep red-wine color, numerous, dense, thin, anastomosing branches, with polyps having a tendency to curl. In most colonies, a definite front and back is present; the sclerite form that is most evident and obvious in this species is the vibrant orange bacillus-shaped, fingerbiscuit rod, easily seen in a light microscopy array.