74 
THE CORAL TRIANGLE: HEARST BIODIVERSITY EXPEDITION 
25a. Unbranched and whiplike, rarely with two or three terminal branches. 
. Viminella, Figs. 32A, C, 35B 
25b. Sparsely to abundantly branched. Ellisella. Figs. 33, 35A 
Synopses of the Genera of Pennatulaceans and Gorgonians 
FROM THE Verde Island Passage 
Alcyonacea Lamouroux, 1816 
(Gorgonians) 
Family Briareidae Gray, 1859 
Genus Briareum Blainville, 1834 
Briareum spp. 
Figures 3-4 
Material Examined.— CASIZ 180158, Philippines, Luzon, Batangas Provinee, Maricaban 
Island, Devil’s Point; < 15 m depth, 23 April 2008, coll. G. C. Williams, one speeimen wet-pre¬ 
served 75% ethanol; CASIZ 180159, Philippines, Luzon, Batangas Province, Maricaban Island, 
Aphol’s Rock, 18.3 m depth, 23 Apr 2008, coll. G C. Williams, 6 colonies wet-preserved 75% 
ethanol; CASIZ 104004, Philippines, Luzon, Batangas Province, Maricaban Island, Culebra (Boni- 
to), 27 Febmary 1995, coll. G. C. Williams, one wet-preserved specimen 75% ethanol. 
Remarks. — Often seen as large mat-like, encrusting masses covering dead coral heads, 
sometimes knoblike or with finger-like projeetions (Fig. 3A). The tentacles are usually green to 
gray in color, narrow and elongate, with significantly-reduced pinnules that are mostly unseen 
underwater, making the tentacles appear smooth, not pinnate (Fig. 3B). 
The basal layer of encrusting colonies is usually a distinct deep purple or magenta in eolor. 
Some of the more robust, spindle-lrke sclerites have more-or-less parallel, transverse rings of con- 
spieuous tubercles (Fig. 4). The outer suifaee of colonies with retraeted polyps may be tan, grey, 
pink-brown, or most commonly red-purple. In the Indo-West Paeifie, Briareum is fed upon by the 
aeolid nudibranch Phyllodesmium briareum. 
Species. — Eight species are recognized (Appeltans et al. 2013). 
The name Pachyclavularia is junior synonym oiBriareum and was previously used in some 
literature sources for mostly red-purple species of the genus. 
Distribution. — hido-Pacifie (East Africa, Red Sea, Northwestern Australia, Great Barrier 
Reef, New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan, Palau, Palmyra 
Atoll); Tropieal Western Atlantic (Florida, Caribbean Sea). 
References. — Fabricius et al. (2007:90); Fabricius and Alderslade (2001); Gosliner, 
Behrens, and Williams (1996:50); Grasshoff and Bargibant (2001:110-113). 
Family Anthothelidae Broch, 1916 
Genus Solenocaulon Gray, 1862 
Solenocaulon cf. rubra (Kolliker, 1870) 
Figures 5C, 6 
Material Examined.— CASIZ 95361; Philippines, Luzon, Batangas Province, Maricaban 
Island, Sepok Point; <26 m depth; 14 March 1994; coll. G C. Williams; one specimen wet pre- 
