A new genus and species of pennatulacean octocoral from equatorial West Africa (Cnidaria, Anthozoa, Virgulariidae)

By

Williams, Gary C., 1950-

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2015

Original Publication

ZooKeys

Volume

546

Pages

39-50

Subjects

Gulf of Guinea , key to the virgulariid genera , New genus and species , Nigeria , Pennatulacea , Sea pens , Virgulariidae , West Africa

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.546.6344

 

Abstract

A new genus and species of sea pen or virgulariid pennatulacean from the Gulf of Guinea in the tropical eastern Atlantic is described, and a key to the genera of the Virgulariidae is included. The new genus and species described here adds to the previously described five other genera of the family. It is distinguished by unique sclerite and polyp leaf characters from the superficially-similar genus Virgularia, which lacks conspicuous sclerites in the polyp leaves and coenenchyme (other than minute oval bodies that are generally <0.01 mm in length).