Description

Description. Branched colonies up to 41 cm in height (holotype), terminal branches 5 – 8 mm in diameter (Fig. 44). Cortex white to pale yellow. All sclerites colourless. Surface cortex with radiate sclerites (mostly 6 ­ and 8 ­ radiates) with grooved and irregular sub­radial ornamentation (Figs. 45 A – C, 46 A – C). Surface sclerites up to 0.077 mm long averaging between 0.06 – 0.07 (0.004 SD, n = 10, NIWA 3328; 0.005 SD, n = 10, NIWA 3329). Surface radiates between 1.4 – 1.5 times longer than wider, averaging 0.04 mm in width (0.003 SD, n = 10, NIWA 3328; 0.002 SD, n = 10, NIWA 3329). Other intermediate forms between radiate and spindle present in the boundary layer (Figs. 45 – 46 D). Medulla with slim, long, bare, straight spindles, with club like tips, up to 0.4 mm in length (Fig. 45 – 46 F). Morphological variation. The irregular nature of the ornamentation of the surface radiates makes this character very variable. Nonetheless, all the characters are consistent in the two available specimens.

Common Names

Taxonomic Hierarchy

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Cnidaria

Class: Anthozoa

Order: Scleralcyonacea

Family: Coralliidae

Genus: Sibogagorgia

Species: Sibogagorgia dennisgordoni Sánchez, 2005