Description

Description. Colonies with slender branches down to 21 mm in diameter (Bayer 1993). Autozooid polyps in clusters. Autozooid polyp tentacles contain spindles less than 0.1 mm in length, irregularly ornate (Fig. 16 A). Surface of the cortex, including autozooid aperture, with unusually globular and hypermorphic radiates (mostly 8 ­ radiate derived) up to 0.055 mm averaging 0.0435 mm in length (± 0.003 SD, n = 10) (Fig. 16 B – D). Surface radiates about 1.638 times longer than wider, averaging 0.029 mm in width (± 0.002 SD, n = 10). Despite radiates have some globular and larger rays, one side of radiates remains with smaller multilobular ornaments. Medulla with ornate spindles, rather short, up to 0.15 mm in length (Fig. 16 E). Morphological variation. The number of radial ornaments of the sclerites of the surface layer, a diagnostic character, can be highly variable in number but most radiates present such a character.

Common Names

Taxonomic Hierarchy

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Cnidaria

Class: Anthozoa

Order: Scleralcyonacea

Family: Coralliidae

Genus: Paragorgia

Species: Paragorgia coralloides Bayer, 1993