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

Guide to the Shallow Water (0-200 m) Octocorals of the South Atlantic Bight. S. T. DeVictor & S. L. Morton, 2007

Family Plexauridae

Bebryce parastellata Deichmann, 1936

Bebryce parastellata Deichmann, 1936:127, Plate 8 fig. 4; Plate 10, figs. 22-28.

Remarks. Bebryce parastellata colonies may occur in unbranched or sparsely branched forms. Colonies are white in alcohol and have small (1 mm) cylindrical calyces spaced 2–5 mm apart, generally along one side of the slender (1–2 mm) branch. The outer coenenchyme contains small (0.1 mm) cup-like sclerites with a base, with the concavity of the cup facing away from the axis. Other sclerites are bent, foliated spindles and stellate plates or crosses with a raised center, resembling a knob.

Atlantic distribution: North Carolina, 46-53 m; Gulf of Mexico (Mississippi), 60-73 m; Bahamas, 256-586 m; Cuba, 40 m -unknown depth; Barbados, 186 m (type) (Deichmann, 1936; NMNH collections).


Figure 1. Bebryce parastellata preserved specimen (USNM 56422); left) colony branch (scale bar = 1 mm); right) calyx.

Figure 2. Bebryce parastellata sclerites (USNM 56422). Clockwise from left) lateral and top view of cup-like rosette from outer cortex; knobbed stellate plate, and curved rod (scale bar = 0.1mm). SEM images by S. Cairns/NMNH.

 

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