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Xu, Y.; Zhan, Z.; Xu, K. (2021). Morphology and phylogeny of Chrysogorgia pinniformis sp. nov. and C. varians sp. nov., two golden corals from the Caroline seamounts in the tropical western Pacific Ocean. Journal of Oceanology and Limnology. 39(5): 1767-1789.
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Xu, Y.; Zhan, Z.; Xu, K.
2021
Morphology and phylogeny of Chrysogorgia pinniformis sp. nov. and C. varians sp. nov., two golden corals from the Caroline seamounts in the tropical western Pacific Ocean
Journal of Oceanology and Limnology
39(5): 1767-1789
Publication
Two new species of Chrysogorgia Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864 collected from the Caroline
seamounts in the tropical Western Pacifi c Ocean are described. Chrysogorgia pinniformis sp. nov. belongs to
Versluys’ group C ( Squamosae typicae ) with only scales in polyp body wall and tentacles. C . pinniformis sp.
nov. is characterized by large branches pinnately branched and forming multiple fans with its small branches
regularly and quasi-dichotomous branched, and scales and rods present in the polyp mouth area. It is most
similar to C . pinnata Cairns, 2007 by the pinnate trait, but diff ers from the latter by its group C pattern (vs.
group A, Spiculosae ) and having sclerites present in the polyp mouth area (vs. absent). Chrysogorgia varians
sp. nov. belongs to the Chrysogorgia group A ( Spiculosae ) with rods distributed in the polyp body wall and
tentacles. It is characterized by warty rods and elongated scales in the tentacles, many warts and ridges on
the scales, conspicuously toothed margins at the rounded ends in the pinnules, and small rods with ridge-like
warts in the polyp mouth area. This species was frequent and abundant in the Caroline seamounts during our
cruises and its morphological variability in growth period was obvious. The phylogenetic analyses based
on mtMutS and 28S rDNA regions supported the assignment of the new species to the genus Chrysogorgia .
However, the mtMutS marker showed very limited usefulness for species delimitation and inner relationship
inference of Chrysogorgia . In contrast, the 28S rDNA showed much higher level of genetic variation, and
it may be a potential barcode for this genus. In the 28S rDNA trees, the two new species clustered together.
Additionally, compilation of our data showed that 42 of 78 (ca. 54%) Chrysogorgia species were found in the
Indo-West Pacifi c convergent region, indicating that this area may be a hotspot of deep-water Chrysogorgia
species
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Chrysogorgia pinniformis Xu, Zhan & Xu, 2021 (original description)
Chrysogorgia varians Xu, Zhan & Xu, 2021 (original description)
Chrysogorgia varians Xu, Zhan & Xu, 2021 (original description)