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

Subclass OCTOCORALLIA (=ALCYONARIA)
Order Pennatulacea
Suborder Subselliflorae
Family Virgulariidae

Octocorals with a distinct axis and autozooids arranged in leaves. This family is represented by two species, Virgularia presbytes and Stylatula elegans, in the shallow SAB.

Key to species of Virgulariidae in the shallow (to 200m) South Atlantic Bight

1. – Colony stout and rigid, with leaves arranged in overlapping pairs along axis. Sclerites generally absent

Virgularia presbytes Bayer, 1955

Virgularia presbytes section close up
Virgularia presbytes

– Colony slender and flexible, leaves arranged in pairs distinctly separated along the axis. Sclerites in form of large needles, forming fan-like structures beneath leaves

Stylatula elegans (Danielssen, 1860)

Stylatula elegans
Stylatula elegans

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