WILLIAMS & CHEN: GORGONIANS AND PENNATULACEANS 81 
OF THE VERDE ISLAND PASSAGE 
are usually deltoid or narrowly triangular in shape. Colony color is variable: deep red, orange to 
brown, or yellow. 
Species. — Thirty-nine species are recognized (Appeltans et al. 2013), two of these have been 
described from the western Atlantic. 
Distribution. — Widespread in the Indo-West Pacific: western Indian Ocean to New Caledo¬ 
nia. 
References. — Fabricius et al. (2007:91); Grasshoff and Bargibant (2001:198-204). 
Family Gorgoniidae Lamouroux, 1812 
Genus Rumphella Bayer, 1955 
Rumphella cf. aggregata (Nutting, 1910) 
Figures 30A, 31A 
Material Examined.— CASIZ 180896, Pliilippines, Sibuyan Sea, Romblon Province, 
Cobrador Island, 21.9 m depth, 20 Feb 2010, coll. G. C. Williams, 1 whole colony wet-preserved 
95% ethanol; CASIZ 186635, Philippines, Luzon, Batangas Province, Maricaban Island, Sepok 
Point, 15 May 2011, coll. G. C. Williams, two partial colonies wet-preserved 95% ethanol. 
Remarks. — Zooxanthellate coral reef gorgonians, usually gi*ey to tan or yellow-brown in 
color, with alcohol-soluble chlorophyll pigments in wet-preserved material. Branches are thick 
with rounded ends. Retracted polyps leave conspicuous polyp openings on the branches. Charac¬ 
teristic sclerites are broadly-flaring clubs with a terminal appendage and a sub-teraiinal whorl of 
three large tuberculated appendages. Rumphella aggregata is known from the Moluccas and other 
parts of Indonesia and the Philippines, while Rumphella antipalhes (Linnaeus, 1758) was original¬ 
ly described from the Malaysian Peninsula. Colonies of Rumphella are known to harbor four 
species of parasitic copepods in three genera. AcanthomaIgus, Doridicola, and Enalcyonium 
(Ofwegen 2013). 
Species. — Three species of the genus are recognized (Appeltans et al. 2013). 
Distribution.— The genus has an Indo-West Pacific distribution: South Africa, the Red Sea, 
Malaysia, hidonesia, Philippines, Palau, New Guinea, Solomon Islands, New Caledonia. 
References. — Fabricius and Alderslade (2001:214-215); Fabricius et al, (2007:91); Goslin- 
er, Behrens, and Williams (1996:54); Grasshoff and Bargibant (2001:120-122); Williams 
(1992:250); Williams (1993:55-57). 
Family Ellisellidae Gray, 1859 
Genus Dichotella Gray, 1870 
Dichotella gemmacea (Milne Edwards and Haime, 1857) 
Figures 32B, 35D 
Material Examined.— CASIZ 186642, Philippines, Luzon, Batangas Province, Calumpan 
Peninsula, Murals (13.69927°N, 120.88244°E), 13 May 2011, coll. G C. Williams, one partial 
colony wet-presei*ved 95% ethanol; CASIZ 103948, Philippines, Luzon, Batangas Province, Mar¬ 
icaban Island, Bethlehem, 20.7 m depth, 26 Feb 1995, coll. G C. Williams, two whole colonies 
wet-preserved 75% ethanol. 
Remarks, — Conspicuously dichotomously-branched gorgonians, usually less than 0.5 m in 
height, rarely up to a one meter tall. Some sclerites are clubs with congested clustered of smooth 
rounded tubercles at the widest end, while other sclerites are waisted spindles. Colonies are usual¬ 
ly bright red or orange in color, but sometimes yellow, yellow-brown, or white. 
