Family Virgulariidae

Stylatula elegans (Danielssen, 1860)

Virgularis elegans Danielssen, 1860:277.

Remarks. The distinctive character of this species, when compared to other pennatulaceans in the South Atlantic Bight, is the fan-like structure of needles (sclerites) beneath the autozooids, which comprise the leaves. There are approximately 10 large needles in each fan, reaching 1mm in length, with smaller needles interspersed. These leaves and fans flank the axis in pairs, giving the colony bilateral symmetry. The axis measures up to 0.4mm in diameter. The polyps contain rod-like sclerites which are not easily visible. In the specimens examined that were whole, the leaf pairs are closer together towards the peduncle and spread out distally.
Of the three specimens examined, one is a fragment and two are whole. The whole specimens have significantly smaller polyps and axis diameter, and only reach a total length of 65-75mm in length. The fragment has a wider axis width and polyps, which are separated by approximately 4mm. All specimens have a white axis with light brown polyps, and white needles.
There are numerous lots of this species in the NMNH that represent the shallow SAB.

Atlantic distribution: Norway (type), New Jersey to Cape Canaveral, Dry Tortugas, 20-812 m (Deichmann, 1936; Bayer, 1958; Williams 1995; NMNH collections; SERTC collection).

Figure 1. Stylatula elegans, preserved specimens. left) S2594; right) USNM 10068 (scale bar = 1mm)

Figure 2. Stylatula elegans (S2594), showing sclerites in fan structure beneath autozooids.