WILLIAMS & CHEN: GORGONIANS AND PENNATULACEANS 77 
OF THE VERDE ISLAND PASSAGE 
exaggerated swollen areas along the thicker branches. Sclerite complements include clubs with 
rounded or knbby heads, spindles, foliate spheroids, and birotulates. Color most commonly 
includes red, orange, or yellow. 
Species. — Thirty-one recognized species (Appeltans et al. 2013). 
Distribution. — Many parts of the Indo-Pacific from East Africa to Japan, Palau, Fiji, and 
New Caledonia. 
References. — Fabricius et al. (2007:91); Fabricius and Alderslade (2001:172); Gosliner, 
Behrens and Williams (1996:53); Grasshoff and Bargibant (2001:82-89). 
Family Acanthogorgiidae Gray, 1859 
Genus Acanthogorgia Gray, 1857 
Acanthogorgia sp. 
Figures 13-14 
Material Examined.— CASIZ 180180, Philippines, Luzon, Batangas Province, Maricaban 
Island, Sepok Wall, 21.3 m depth, 19 Apr 2008, coll. G. C. Williams, 1 whole colony wet-preserved 
75% ethanol. 
Remarks. — The polyps are contractile but not retractile and are covered with elongate often 
curved spindles with numerous small tubercles. The polyps are tubular or cylindrical in shape and 
are situated perpendicular to the branches. Colonies are often brightly-colored, commonly yellow, 
orange, or red to pink or puiple. 
Species. — Sixty-four nominal species (Appeltans et al. 2013). 
Distribution. — Many species are known from colder or deeper regions of all world seas 
except the Arctic Ocean. In addition, shallow-water species of the tropical Indo-Pacific are known 
from the Red Sea, Malaysia, Australian Great Barrier Reef, Philippines, Taiwan, Palau, Japan, 
Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and New Caledonia. 
Wliether these two groups belong to the same genus or not is yet to be determined. 
References. — Fabricius et al. (2007:91); Fabricius and Alderslade (2001:184); Gosliner, 
Behrens, and Williams (1996:53, as Acalycigorgia)’, Grasshoff and Bargibant (2001:131-144); 
Williams (1992:208). 
Genus Muricella Verrill, 1869 
Muricella sp. 
Figures 13, 15 
Material Examined.— CASIZ 109526, Philippines, Luzon, Batangas Province, Maricaban 
Island, Sepok Wall, 9-25 m depth, 20 April 1997, coll. G. C. Williams, 1 whole colony wet-pre¬ 
served 75% ethanol. 
Remarks. — The polyps are contractile but not retractile and are covered with robust or blunt 
spindles with prominent tubercles. The polyps are usually rounded or hemispherical and appear as 
numerous bumps along the branches. Colonies are commonly pink to magenta, but brown, yellow 
or white have also been recorded. The pygmy sea horse Hippocampus bargibanti, is reported to be 
associated with perhaps three species of Muricella in the Indo-West Pacific (Reijnen et al. 2011:5), 
includmg at least one species in the Philippines (Fig. 13B). 
Species. — Thirty-five species recorded (Appeltans et al. 2013). 
Distribution. — Indo-West Pacific, Indian Ocean to throughout much the western Pacific. 
References. — Fabricius et al. (2007:91); Gosliner, Behrens, and Williams (1996:54); 
Grasshoff and Bargibant (2001:148-153). 
