Muricea pendula Verrill, 1864

Devictor, Susan T. & Morton, Steve L., 2010, Identification guide to the shallow water (0 - 200 m) octocorals of the South Atlantic Bight 2599, Zootaxa 2599 (1), pp. 1-62 : 39

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.2599.1.1

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03A887A7-FFE8-7D69-2A81-FBB36632F81E

treatment provided by

Felipe

scientific name

Muricea pendula Verrill, 1864
status

 

Muricea pendula Verrill, 1864 View in CoL

( Figure 36 View FIGURE 36 )

Muricea elegans (Agassiz ms.), Verrill, 1864a:9.

Muricea pendula Verrill, 1864a:45 View in CoL . — Deichmann 1936:103; Plate 9 figs. 12–14.— Bayer 1961:191; Fig. 58d–f; Plate V fig. 3.— Cairns et al. 2002:34.

not Muricea pendula View in CoL .— Riess, 1929:385; Plate 8 fig. 1.[= Muricea laxa Verrill View in CoL ].— Kükenthal 1924:144.

Material examined. SERTC S 1327, 29 m, off Hilton Head Island , South Carolina, June 4, 2004 . SERTC S 1328, 63 m, off Anastasia Island , Florida, August 30, 2004 . SERTC S 2712, 24 m, off Charleston , South Carolina, August 15, 2006 .

Remarks. Muricea pendula colonies are planar and irregularly pinnate, with the twigs sometimes turned upward. Colonies may reach a large size (up to 0.5 m). The prominent calyces may be sparse around the base of the colony and are quite crowded near the tips. This species displays the strong polyp armature typical of the genus Muricea . Large (up to 1.5 mm) calicular spindles extend out from the calyx rim, giving a spiny or shelf-like effect to the calyces when the polyps are retracted. The large spindles are warty and may have one side that has numerous small spines. Smaller acute, warty spindles are found in the non-calicular coenenchyme, particularly near the base or surrounding the axis. The colony is a dark magenta to bright red when alive, and a dark to dull orange when preserved or dried. The sclerites are amber or orange.

There are numerous lots of this species in the NMNH from the shallow SAB.

Atlantic distribution: North Carolina to Florida Keys; Gulf of Mexico, 13–125 m ( Deichmann, 1936; Bayer, 1961; NMNH collections; SERTC collection).

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Cnidaria

Class

Anthozoa

Order

Alcyonacea

Family

Plexauridae

Genus

Muricea

Loc

Muricea pendula Verrill, 1864

Devictor, Susan T. & Morton, Steve L. 2010
2010
Loc

Muricea pendula

Kukenthal, W. 1924: 144
1924
Loc

Muricea elegans

Verrill, A. E. 1864: 9
1864
Loc

Muricea pendula

Cairns, S. D. & Calder, D. R. & Brinckmann-Voss, A. & Castro, C. B. & Fautin, D. G. & Pugh, P. R. & Mills, C. E. & Jaap, W. C. & Arai, M. N. & Haddock, S. H. D. & Opresko, D. M. 2002: 34
Bayer, F. M. 1961: 191
Deichmann, E. 1936: 103
Verrill, A. E. 1864: 45
1864
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