CONTENTS

Introduction
The South Atlantic Bight
Methods
Octocoral Morphology

Glossary
Gorgonacean Bauplan

List of Species

published version (DeVictor & Morton, Zootaxa 2599)
see this for keys

Occurrence Table

Notes on the Species
Carijoa riisei
Scleranthelia rugosa
Telesto fruticulosa
Telesto nelleae
Telesto sanguinea
Bellonella rubistella
Pseudodrifa nigra
Nidalia occidentalis
Iciligorgia schrammi
Diodogorgia nodulifera
Titanideum frauenfeldii
Muricea pendula
Thesea nivea
Bebryce cinerea
Bebryce parastellata
Scleracis guadalupensis
Paramuricea
sp.
Leptogorgia hebes
Leptogorgia punicea
Leptogorgia cardinalis
Leptogorgia virgulata
Leptogorgia setacea
Leptogorgia euryale
Viminella barbadensis
Renilla reniformis
Sclerobelemnon theseus
Stylatula elegans
Virgularia presbytes

References Cited

Suggested Reading/Viewing

Acknowledgements

Family Gorgoniidae

Leptogorgia euryale (Bayer, 1952)

Eugorgia euryale Bayer, 1952:186, fig. 1 o-s.

Remarks. This work represents the first record of this species in the SAB. This species is unbranched and very slender (1-2 mm) in comparison to other Leptogorgia species in the SAB. The prominent, conical calyces are biserial along the sides of the branch, sometimes alternating, with the apertures separated by approximately 3 mm. The colonies examined for this work are pale orange or pale pink with dark pink calyces with yellow apertures. A band of dark pink tissue, giving the appearance of a pink lateral stripe, connects the calyces. The inner coenenchyme immediately adjacent to the axis is dark pink. The coenenchyme contains elongate (up to 0.15 mm) warty spindles, asymmetrical disk spindles, and flat, serrate anthocodial rods that approach the length of the longest spindles. It appears as though this species may exist unattached as some specimens have growing tips on both ends. One fragment examined had a very small branchlet on which the calyces were separated by 5 mm or more.
This species is abundant in the Gulf of Mexico but unreported in the SAB prior to this work.

Atlantic distribution: South Carolina, Gulf of Mexico (Florida), 15-91 m (Bayer, 1952; 1961; NMNH collections; SERTC collection).

Leptogorgia euryale (S425); a-c) disc spindles from coenchyme; d-f) spindles from coenchyme; g, h) large spindles from coenchyme; i, j) flat rods from anthocodia
Figure 3. Leptogorgia euryale (S425); a-c) disc spindles from coenenchyme; d-f) spindles from coenenchyme; g, h) large spindles from coenenchyme; i, j) flat rods from anthocodia. Scale bar = 20 µm for a-f, i and j; scale bar = 50 µm for g and h.

Leptogorgia euryale, preserved specimen
Figure 1. Leptogorgia euryale, preserved specimen (scale bar = 1 mm).

Leptogorgia euryale (preserved specimen) showing calyces and orientation of sclerites
Figure 2. Leptogorgia euryale (preserved specimen) showing calyces and orientation of sclerites.

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