Ameripathidae, a new family of antipatharian corals (Cnidaria, Anthozoa, Hexacorallia, Antipatharia).

A new family of antipatharian corals, Ameripathidae (Cnidaria: Anthozoa: Antipatharia), is established for Ameripathespseudomyriophylla Opresko & Horowitz, gen. et sp. nov. The new family resembles Myriopathidae and Stylopathidae in terms of the morphology of the polyps and tentacles and the pinnulate branching of the corallum. Phylogenetic analysis using a genomic data set of 741 conserved element loci indicates that the new family is sister to a clade containing the Myriopathidae, Stylopathidae, Antipathidae, and Aphanipathidae.

Establishment of a neotype for Antipathes flabellum Pallas, 1766 (Anthozoa: Hexacorallia: Antipatharia).

A neotype is designated for the antipatharian coral Antipathes flabellum Pallas, 1766. The neotype was collected off Madagascar (the original type locality is given as the Oceanus Indicus). Morphologically, the neotype corresponds closely in corallum shape and skeletal spination to specimens that have traditionally been identified as Antipathes flabellum. Another specimen of A. flabellum from Madagascar, morphologically almost identical to the neotype and described here, has been sequenced using ultra conserved elements and exon nuclear loci, which showed that it falls within the family currently recognized as Antipathidae.

Description of a new species of black coral in the family Aphanipathidae (Anthozoa, Antipatharia) from Puerto Rico.

Black corals (Anthozoa: Antipatharia) are an anthozoan lineage in the class Hexacorallia that occur across a wide range of habitats from the tropics to the poles and from surface waters to depths deeper than 8000 m. A new species of black coral, Aphanipathespuertoricoensissp. nov., collected with a remotely operated vehicle 357 m deep off Puerto Rico is recognized in the family Aphanipathidae. The new species is characterized by very long and loosely coiled primary branches and up to 0.5 mm tall spines with as many as 40 or more small conical tubercles. A phylogeny composed of 13 taxa that are closely related to the new species was reconstructed from 793 nuclear loci to show their systematic relationships. Our study integrated morphological and genomic data to show that this new species is distinct from other species in the genus Aphanipathes. Furthermore, our results add to the growing knowledge of black coral diversity, while further demonstrating the need for exploration in deep waters of the Caribbean Sea.

New genus and species of black coral from the SW Pacific and Antarctica (Cnidaria: Anthozoa: Antipatharia: Schizopathidae).

A new genus, Diplopathes, in the family Schizopathidae, and three new species are described from the Southwest Pacific and Antarctic region based on morphological data. The new genus superficially resembles Telopathes in being branched and having simple, bilateral pinnules, but differs in having strictly alternately arranged pinnules, and in having small polyps 4 mm or less in transverse diameter. Mitochondrial DNA placed Diplopathes and Telopathes in separate clades within the Schizopathidae, thus supporting the significance of seemingly subtle anatomical differences. The new species are: D. antarctica, with sparse branching, pinnules of up to 7 cm long, and polypar spines up to 0.045 mm tall; D. multipinnata, with dense branching, pinnules up to 3 cm long, and polypar spines up to 0.1 mm tall; and D. tuatoruensis, with very sparse branching, pinnules up to 10 cm long, and polypar spines up to 0.1 mm. Interestingly, the three new species do not form a monophyletic clade based on mitochondrial DNA. We propose and discuss two hypotheses to explain the results of the phylogenetic reconstruction, including that molecular and physical change are uncoupled or that we have uncovered another example of morphological convergence in unrelated species.

Description of a new and widely distributed species of Bathypathes (Cnidaria: Anthozoa: Antipatharia: Schizopathidae) previously misidentified as Bathypathes alternata Brook, 1889.

For many years an undescribed species of the genus Bathypathes has been misidentified as Bathypathes alternata Brook, 1889 (a species currently re-assigned to the genus Alternatipathes). This new species is rather common at mid- and lower bathyal depths of the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans, often in areas with high concentrations of commercially valuable cobalt-rich ferromanganese crusts, where it was observed in underwater photo and video transects to occur in high densities. Under the name B. alternata this species is recorded in several inventories and databases. There is an urgent need for a formal description of this misidentified and widely distributed species to avoid further confusion. The new species is superficially similar to A. alternata in having a monopodial corallum and simple, bilateral and alternately arranged pinnules. However, it differs from the former in that it has an upright corallum with a straight pinnulated part (vs. a horizontally bent pinnulated part), pinnules of uniform length and density (vs. decreasing regularly distally), and a constant distal angle formed by the pinnules and the stem along different parts of the corallum (vs. a decreasing distal angle near the top). The new species can therefore be easily distinguished from A. alternata in underwater imagery. We formally describe this new species in the genus Bathypathes and assign it the new name B. pseudoalternata. An extensive synonymy list with previous misidentified records is provided. To evaluate the distributional patterns of the new species we review the geographic distribution of antipatharians reported below 800 m. The majority of the hitherto described lower bathyal and abyssal species have been recorded from one biogeographic province; however, 20 species are known from more than two provinces, and only three species are widely distributed (>5 provinces), including the newly described Bathypathes pseudoalternata. Members of the family Schizopathidae, to which the new species belongs, represent the majority of the lower bathyal (50.54%) and abyssal (82.35%) species.

New species of deep-sea Antipatharians from the North Pacific (Cnidaria: Anthozoa: Antipatharia), Part 2.

Five new species of deep-sea antipatharian corals are described from the North Pacific primarily collected off the coast of Alaska and on adjacent seamounts. All the species are referred to the family Schizopathidae. Described as new are: Alternatipathes mirabilis, Bathypathes ptiloides, Bathypathes tiburonae, Bathypathes alaskensis, and Parantipathes pluma. Illustrations of the type material of Bathypathes patula, B. patula var. plenispina and B. tenuis are provided for comparative proposes. Bathypathes patula var. plenispina is here recognized as a species distinct from B. patula, and B. tenuis is considered incertae sedis due to the poor condition of the type material.

Description of two new genera and two new species of antipatharian corals in the family Aphanipathidae (Cnidaria: Anthozoa: Antipatharia).

Two new genera and two new species of black corals are recognized in the family Aphanipathidae. The new genus Anozopathes, with the species A. hawaiiensis sp. nov. and A. palauensis, sp. nov. is characterized by a sparsely and irregularly branched corallum with relatively long branches which can be straight, curved or crooked. The genus Aphanostichopathes, with the type species Cirripathes paucispina Brook, is characterized by an unbranched corallum with a long, curved stem with loose distal coils. Mitochondrial DNA data (nad5-IGR-nad1 for Anozopathes and cox3-cox1 for Aphanostichopathes) indicate that both taxa are related to the genera Aphanipathes, Phanopathes and Acanthopathes in the family Aphanipathidae, and morphologically they both share the characteristic of having spines with distinct conical tubercles. The two new species of Anozopathes are separated primarily by differences in colony growth form and in the size and shape of the skeletal spines. Species of Aphanostichopathes are separated primarily by differences in the size and shape of the spines and by size and density of the tubercles on the surface of the spines.

New species of black corals (Cnidaria:Anthozoa: Antipatharia) from deep-sea seamounts and ridges in the North Pacific.

Three new species of antipatharian corals are described from deep-sea (677-2,821 m) seamounts and ridges in the North Pacific, including Antipathes sylospongia, Alternatipathes venusta, and Umbellapathes litocrada. Most of the material for these descriptions was collected on expeditions aboard NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer that were undertaken as part of the Campaign to Address Pacific Monument Science, Technology, and Ocean Needs (CAPSTONE). One of the main goals of CAPSTONE was to characterize the deep-sea fauna in protected waters of the U.S. Pacific, as well as in the Prime Crust Zone, the area with the highest known concentration of commercially valuable deep-sea minerals in the Pacific. Species descriptions and distribution data are supplemented with in situ photo records, including those from deep-sea exploration programs that have operated in the North Pacific in addition to CAPSTONE, namely the Hawaii Undersea Research Laboratory (HURL), the Ocean Exploration Trust (OET), and the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI).

Shallow-water black corals (Cnidaria: Anthozoa: Hexacorallia: Antipatharia) from SW Madagascar.

Antipatharians, also known as black corals, represent a small group of anthozoan hexacorallians found in all oceans of the world. They are generally considered a deep-water taxon; however, some of the most diverse communities are known from tropical shallow waters. With a few poorly detailed exceptions, shallow-water black corals from the Indian Ocean and especially those from Madagascar are mostly unknown. In this study, we report for the first time a highly diverse black coral assemblage of the Western Indian Ocean thriving in shallow waters and upper mesophotic depths (10-52 m depth) along the SW coast of Madagascar. A total of 22 species belonging to six genera (Antipathes, Arachnopathes, Cirrhipathes, Cupressopathes, Myriopathes and Stichopathes) and two families (Antipathidae and Myriopathidae) are described, of which 20 are found in the northern pass of the Great Reef of Toliara, thus representing the most diverse site of the areas investigated. Most of the shallow-water species from the Indian Ocean were originally described more than a century ago, sometimes without being reported again until now. All the descriptions herein rely solely on morphology and include detailed in situ pictures and scanning electron microscope images, in addition to range expansions for many species.

Black corals (Anthozoa: Antipatharia) from the deep (916 m-2542 m) Coral Sea, north-eastern Australia.

Black corals (Anthozoa: Antipatharia) occur in all the world's oceans in a wide range of habitats from shallow-water coral reefs to the deep-sea. However, the taxonomy of black corals is poorly known compared to many other anthozoan groups. This knowledge gap is particularly acute for the deep-sea, where collecting specimens is logistically difficult and costly. Here, we identify 21 black coral specimens collected from the western Coral Sea adjacent to north-east Australia. The specimens represent five nominal species from five genera and two families. All species represent new records for the region, including the first record for the family Cladopathidae Brook, 1889. We describe the morphology of these specimens, note geographic and bathymetric range expansions, and provide evidence to support the hypothesis that Bathypathes seculata Opresko, 2005 is the juvenile stage of Bathypathes patula Brook, 1889, thus warranting synonymization. Our findings demonstrate that deep-sea antipatharians in this region are much more diverse than previously reported. Furthermore, this study highlights the importance of museum collections in terms of increasing our understanding of taxonomy and patterns of biodiversity, particularly for poorly-studied habitats such as the deep-sea.

Description of a new species of Leiopathes (Antipatharia: Leiopathidae) from the Hawaiian Islands.

The Hawaiian antipatharian coral previously identified as Leiopathes glaberrima (Esper, 1792) and Leiopathes sp. is described using polyp morphology, skeletal spine morphology and in situ photographs, and assigned the new name of Leiopathes annosa sp. nov. The species is characterized by tall (1 m or more), fan-shaped colonies, with thick, sometimes overlapping branches, and tissues that are colored bright orange when alive. Skeletal spines are smooth, hemispherical, often times multi-lobed, and typically 75 µm tall, but range between 30-225 µm. Polyps are of variable size (0.88-3.35 mm) and arranged on all sides of the corallum on thicker branches, and uniserially on terminal branches. Leiopathes annosa sp. nov differs from all other nominal species of Leiopathes by having a generally flabellate corallum with thick branches and conspicuous skeletal spines that are multi-lobed and hemispherical. The biogeographical distribution of species within the monogeneric family Leiopathidae is presented and discussed.