A new gorgonian Pseudopterogorgia nanjiensis sp. nov. (Cnidaria, Octocorallia, Gorgoniidae) from the Nanji Islands, China

By

Sun, Tingzai
Xu, Yu
Xu, Kuidong
Chen, Shun
Xie, Shangwei
Zhan, Zifeng

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2024

Original Publication

ZooKeys

Volume

1213

Pages

237--249

Subjects

28S rDNA , Anthozoa , COI , Malacalcyonacea , Morphology , mtMutS , new species , Phylogeny , Pseudopterogorgia nanjiensis , taxonomy

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1213.126841

 

Abstract

Members of the genus Pseudopterogorgia Kükenthal, 1919 are widely distributed in shallow water of the Indo-West Pacific. During an investigation of benthic biodiversity in the subtidal zone surrounding the Nanji Islands in the East China Sea, two specimens of Pseudopterogorgia were collected and described as a new species based on an integrated morphological-molecular approach. Pseudopterogorgia nanjiensissp. nov. is most similar to P. fredericki Williams & Vennam, 2001 in the irregular branching form and indistinct scaphoids, but differs by the coenenchymal sclerite content of distinct capstans and a few warty spindles and radiates (vs. mostly warty spindles and a few capstans), and a purplish colony (vs. white, pink to deep rose). Molecular phylogenetic analyses, based on the mtMutS-COI gene sequences, delineated a monophyletic clade encompassing all assessed Pseudopterogorgia species. Within this clade, P. nanjiensissp. nov. showed a close phylogenetic affinity with both P. fredericki and P. australiensis Ridley, 1884.