B- 5 



Species of the genus Anthomastus form mushroom-shaped colonies 

 consisting of a cylindrical polypless stalk and an upper, dome- 

 shaped polyp-disk. The disk bears two types of polyps; large 

 autozooids (3-4 cm long) and minute siphonozooids . In A. 

 grandiflorus the autozooids are often confined to the margin of 

 the disc and the siphonozooids are scattered over the entire 

 surface giving it a granular texture due to their slightly raised 

 calyces. The autozooids are completely retractile; 

 however, they are often preserved in a partially or totally 

 expanded state. The spicules are long, sparsely warted spindles 

 (0.3 mm long) or short, roughly-warted, stellate or captate rods. 

 In this species the lower end of the stalk has lobe-like swellings 

 which anchor the colony in soft substrates. Living colonies are 

 bright red or purple - the color fading only slightly after 

 preservation. The species is known from the eastern Atlantic 

 and in the west from Newfoundland south into the Caribbean. Its 

 depth range is 250 to about 600 fm. 



In the historical survey A. grandiflorus was found from 

 Corsair Canyon to Norfolk Canyon between the depths of 750 to 

 2600 m. Exceptionally high concentrations of this species were 

 seen during a dive on the west wall of Heezen Canyon. A. grandiflorus 

 frequently co-occurred with a species of Pennatula. In the field 

 study two individuals of A, grandiflorus were found at 86 8 m in 

 Baltimore Canyon and one individual was found at 82 6 m in 

 Oceanographer Canyon. 



