Iridogorgia verrucosa Xu, Zhan & Xu, 2021

Xu, Yu, Watling, Les, Zhan, Zifeng & Xu, Kuidong, 2025, Studies on western Pacific gorgonians (Anthozoa: Octocorallia: Chrysogorgiidae). Part 2: unexpected diversity of the genus Iridogorgia in the tropical western Pacific with descriptions of two new species, Zootaxa 5689 (3), pp. 451-486 : 470-472

publication ID

https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5689.3.3

publication LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:pub::65C31B5A-C3EF-4DED-80FC-5E2CAC909FD7

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17319747

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03CDBE44-E961-FFFA-7495-56DD12B7ABF7

treatment provided by

Plazi

scientific name

Iridogorgia verrucosa Xu, Zhan & Xu, 2021
status

 

Iridogorgia verrucosa Xu, Zhan & Xu, 2021 View in CoL

Figs. 11 View FIGURE 11 , 12 View FIGURE 12

Iridogorgia verrucosa Xu, Zhan & Xu, 2021: 11–13 View in CoL , Figs 5 View FIGURE 5 , 6 View FIGURE 6 .

Material examined: MBM286361 View Materials , station FX-Dive 57 ( 21°11.80′N, 118°04.00′E), Northeast of South China Sea, depth 1641 m, 5 March 2016 GoogleMaps .

Diagnosis (redefined on the basis of Xu et al. 2021): Colony relatively short with closely coiled helices and branches producing nearly from the bottom to top. Polyps with an expanded body base. Rods in the tentacles relatively sparse with many small warts, some of them with a slight medial contraction. Flat rods and needles in the polyp body wall and coenenchyme often with a slight medial contraction, some of them wide with irregular shape. Sclerites in coenenchyme abundant at the base of polyps and rare to absent in inter-polyps.

Description: Colony grown in a rocky bottom in situ ( Fig. 11A View FIGURE 11 ). Specimen bright orange after collection and became white after fixation, about 43.5 cm long, with the holdfast not recovered ( Fig. 11B, C View FIGURE 11 ). The direction of growth clockwise. Axis closely coiled spiraling upward and with an iridescent metallic luster, about 5 mm in diameter at base. Branching part including 14 helical turns, each turn about 3 cm in height and 1 cm in diameter ( Fig. 11C View FIGURE 11 ). Branches up to 200 mm long, producing nearly from the colony base to top and arranged on one side of the axis, about 2 mm apart. Polyps with an expanded body base, about 3 mm wide and 1 mm from the branches to the tentacle bases, 5–7 mm apart ( Fig. 11D, E, G–I View FIGURE 11 ). Tentacles up to 3 mm when spread out. The proximal polyps usually with a more expanded body base, shorter tentacles, and longer inter-polyp distance. Polyps and branches with a few low verrucae ( Fig. 11I View FIGURE 11 ).

Rods in the tentacle bases longitudinally arranged, sparse and large with two rounded ends, usually covered with many small warts and a slight middle constriction, some of them with a rugged surface, and measuring 200–487 × 19–63 ( Figs. 11J, K View FIGURE 11 ; 12A View FIGURE 12 ). Flat rods and needles in the polyp body wall transversely or obliquely arranged, nearly smooth, some of them with a slight middle contraction and sharp ends, occasionally crossed, wide and irregular, measuring 96–407 × 12–106 µm ( Figs. 11J, K View FIGURE 11 ; 12B View FIGURE 12 ). Sclerites rare to absent in inter-polyp coenenchyme ( Fig. 11F View FIGURE 11 ). Flat rods and needles in coenenchyme at the base of polyps nearly smooth, some of them with two sharp ends, occasionally branched, and measuring 174–419 × 19–49 µm ( Fig. 12C View FIGURE 12 ).

Distribution: A seamount located on the Caroline Ridge, 1397 m ( Xu et al. 2021); South China Sea, 1641 m.

Remarks: This specimen matches well with the holotype in relatively tightly coiled central axis, sclerites rare to absent in the coenenchyme between the polyps, rods in tentacles and flat rods and needles in polyp body wall and coenenchyme. Moreover, their mtMutS-cox1 and 28S gene sequences showed they are identical with the intraspecific differences (see the genetic analysis before). Thus, we identified them as the same species. This specimen differs from the holotype by deeper color when alive, longer branches, less verrucae and relatively regular sclerites in polyp body and coenenchyme ( Xu et al. 2021). However, these differences may be caused by different environment or growth stage, and we thus treat as the conspecific variation.

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Cnidaria

Class

Anthozoa

Order

Alcyonacea

Family

Chrysogorgiidae

Genus

Iridogorgia

Loc

Iridogorgia verrucosa Xu, Zhan & Xu, 2021

Xu, Yu, Watling, Les, Zhan, Zifeng & Xu, Kuidong 2025
2025
Loc

Iridogorgia verrucosa

Xu, Y. & Zhan, Z. & Xu, K. 2021: 13
2021
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