A new Muricea species (Cnidaria, Anthozoa, Octocorallia) from the eastern tropical Pacific

By

Breedy, Odalisca
Guzman, Hector M.

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2016

Original Publication

ZooKeys

Volume

629

Pages

1-10

Subjects

Alcyonacea , Cnidaria , eastern Pacific , mesophotic zone , Muricea subtilis , new species , plexaurid , soft corals , taxonomy

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.629.10828

 

Abstract

The genus Muricea is considered abundant and widely distributed along the eastern Pacific. Its occurrence in shallow waters has been recognised; however species from deeper than 30 m have been rarely recorded. During the 2005 R/V Urracá expedition along the north and central Pacific coast of Costa Rica several octocoral specimens were collected by bottom trawling from 30 to 150 m yielding new species and new records. Herein we describe a new species of Muricea from deeper than 30 m. The morphological characters of the species were analysed and illustrated by optic and scanning electron microscopy. Muricea subtilis sp. n. can be distinguished from the other species in the genus by its thin spiny branches, non-imbricate calyces, white colony and sclerites, and the size and composition of sclerites. Comparative character tables are provided for the closest Muricea species-group. This new species increases the number in the genus to 26, and contributes to the knowledge on the diversity and distribution of mesophotic soft corals in the eastern Pacific.