A new species of Heterogorgia Verrill, 1868 (Octocorallia, Malacalcyonacea) from a mesophotic fishing shoal in the eastern Pacific

 

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Autori: Breedy Shadid, Odalisca, Murillo Cruz, Catalina, Cortés Núñez, Jorge
Natura: artículo original
Data di pubblicazione:2024
Descrizione:Heterogorgia abdita sp. nov. is a newly identified mesophotic octocoral species collected at Tigre shoal off Santa Elena Peninsula (Pacific Costa Rica). The new species is described based on distinctive morphological characters that classify it within the genus Heterogorgia. It is characterised by its conspicuous small branching colony with prominent calyces and thin branches. While its scleroma aligns with the genus, the presence of club-like spindles is notable, as these have previously been observed only in the sole Atlantic Heterogorgia species. This study enhances our understanding of the intriguing genus Heterogorgia and contributes to the knowledge of octocoral biodiversity within the Área de Conservación Guanacaste north Pacific Costa Rica and the broader marine biodiversity of the eastern tropical Pacific.
Stato:Kérwá
Istituzione:Universidad de Costa Rica
Repositorio:Kérwá
Lingua:Inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:kerwa.ucr.ac.cr:10669/104057
Accesso online:https://mapress.com/zt/article/view/zootaxa.5501.4.7
https://hdl.handle.net/10669/104057
https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5501.4.7
Keyword:octocorals
taxonomy
biodiversity
coral reefs
pacific ocean