Ralf T. S. Cordeiro

New records of the genus Callogorgia (Anthozoa: Octocorallia) in the western Atlantic, including the description of a new species

Based on material collected during oceanographic campaigns in the western Atlantic from 1958 to 2011, two species of primnoid octocorals belonging to the genus Callogorgia were identified: Callogorgia americana and Callogorgia arawak sp. nov. These species are described and illustrated herein and their geographic and bathymetric are given. This is the first record of the genus in the south-western Atlantic. Additionally, the elevation of C. americana americana and C. a. delta to species level is proposed, keeping Callogorgia gilberti, C. delta and C. americana as separate species.

Deep-water octocorals (Cnidaria: Octocorallia) from Brazil: Family Chrysogorgiidae Verrill, 1883.

Current knowledge about the Brazilian deep-water octocoral fauna remains scarce, fragmented, and mostly based on unpublished, regional scale surveys. The present work provides the first comprehensive study of the family Chrysogorgidae Verrill, 1883 in Brazil, based on morphological analysis of specimens collected in the last decade and those currently placed in museums. Members of this family are common mainly at great depths and remarkable for the iridescent aspect of their colonies. In Brazil, to the present, only four species were reported: Chrysogorgia elegans (Verrill, 1883), Chrysogorgia multiflora Deichmann, 1936, Stephanogorgia rattoi Castro, Medeiros & Loiola, 2010 and Trichogorgia brasiliensis Castro, Medeiros & Loiola, 2010-the last two are shallow-water species. In this study, three new deep-water species are described, Chrysogorgia tuberculata, Chrysogorgia upsilonia and Radicipes kopelatos, and a new record to Brazil is reported, Chrysogorgia fewkesii Verrill, 1883, as well as latitudinal expansions in distributions of Chrysogorgia elegans and Chrysogorgia multiflora are presented.

New records and range extensions of azooxanthellate scleractinians (Cnidaria: Anthozoa) from Brazil

Based on specimens deposited in the scientific collections of the Reef Environment Laboratory of the Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, National Museum/Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, and Oceanography Department of the Federal University of Pernambuco, the first occurrences of the azooxanthellate scleractinians Polycyathus senegalensis and Eguchipsammia cornucopia from Brazilian waters are reported. In addition, latitudinal and/or bathymetric range extensions are reported for Caryophyllia ambrosia caribbeana, Caryophyllia antillarum, Premocyathus cornuformis, Deltocyathus calcar, Paracyathus pulchellus, Flabellum apertum, Sphenotrochus auritus, Madracis asperula and Astrangia solitaria .

Diversity and Distribution of Octocorallia

Octocorals are a group of striking presence in marine benthic communities. With approximately 3400 valid species the taxonomy of the group is still not resolved, mainly because of the variability of morphological characters and lack of optimization of molecular markers. Octocorals are distributed in all seas and oceans of the world, from shallow waters up to 6400 m deep, but with few cosmopolitan species (principally pennatulaceans). The Indo-Pacific is the region that holds the greatest diversity of octocorals, showing the highest level of endemism. However, endemism in octocorals as we know might be the reflex of a biased sampling effort, as several punctual sites present high level of endemism (e.g. Alaska, Antarctica, South Africa, Brazil, Gulf of Mexico). Since around 75 % of described octocoral species are found in waters deeper than 50 m, increasing knowledge on octocoral diversity and distribution is still limited by the availability of resources and technologies to access these environments. Furthermore, the limited number of octocoral taxonomists limits progress in this field. Integrative taxonomy (i.e. morphology, molecular biology, ecology and biogeography) appears to be the best way to try to better understand the taxonomy of such a diverse and important group in marine benthic communities.

First record of Stichopathes occidentalis (Gray, 1860) and range extensions of Antipathes atlantica Gray, 1857 (Cnidaria: Anthozoa: Antipatharia) in the southwestern Atlantic Ocean

Twenty-one species of black corals have been recorded in the Brazilian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) to date, distributed mainly at depths greater than 20 m. The diversity of these environments along the northern and northeastern coasts of Brazil has been poorly investigated, in particular few information are available for the cnidarian fauna. This note represents the first record of the genus Stichopathes for the southwestern Atlantic Ocean, and also fills in the gaps in the distribution of Antipathes atlantica between the northern and southern coasts of Brazil.

Callogorgia lucaya sp. nov., a new species of deep-sea Primnoidae (Anthozoa: Octocorallia) from the western Atlantic

As part of an ongoing reassessment of the genus Callogorgia, we describe C. lucaya sp. nov. from the western Atlantic, with a distribution so far restricted to the Straits of Florida and northern Caribbean. The species was partially described in an unfinished manuscript of Dr. Frederick Bayer and differs from all other western Atlantic species by commonly lacking outer-lateral body wall scales, having a small number of abaxials, and having body wall sclerites that are externally almost smooth. (Species Zoobank LSID: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:CF8F92FC-8F8A-4A8C-AF4A-52E12B58F7B1).

Isolation and Antifouling activity of Azulene Derivatives from the Antarctic Gorgonian Acanthogorgia laxa

Three azulenoid sesquiterpenes (1 – 3) were isolated from the Antarctic gorgonian Acanthogorgia laxa collected by bottom trawls at −343 m. Besides linderazulene (1), and the known ketolactone 2, a new brominated C16 linderazulene derivative (3) was also identified. This compound has an extra carbon atom at C(7) of the linderazulene framework. The antifouling activity of compounds 1 and 2 was assayed in the laboratory with Artemia salina larvae, and also in field tests, by incorporation in soluble‐matrix experimental antifouling paints. The results obtained after a 45 days field trial of the paints, showed that compounds 1 and 2 displayed good antifouling potencies against a wide array of organisms. Compound 3, a benzylic bromide, was unstable and for this reason was not submitted to bioassays. Two known cembranolides: pukalide and epoxypukalide, were also identified as minor components of the extract.

A new genus and species of golden coral (Anthozoa, Octocorallia, Chrysogorgiidae) from the Northwest Atlantic

Abstract A new genus and species of unbranched golden coral, Flagelligorgia gracilis, is described based on several specimens collected off the southeastern coast of the United States. The genus is provisionally included in the family Chrysogorgiidae, pending molecular confirmation. Flagelligorgia morphologically resembles other unbranched chrysogorgiids, such as Distichogorgia, Chalcogorgia, Helicogorgia and Radicipes, to which it is compared. The type species is illustrated and its distribution mapped.