[Crustacea • 2024] Wollastenothoe minuta • “Hidden” Biodiversity: A New amphipod Genus (Amphipoda: Stenothoidae) dominates Epifauna in Association with a mesophotic Black Coral Forest

 

Wollastenothoe minuta Gouillieux & Navarro-Mayoral, 

in Navarro-Mayoral, Gouillieux, Fernandez-Gonzalez, Tuya, Lecoquierre, ... et Otero-Ferrer, 2024.

DOI: 10.1007/s00338-024-02491-y

 twitter.com/philebo73

Abstract

Black corals are important components of mesophotic and deep-water marine habitats. Their presence at great depths (e.g., 50 to 200 m) makes accessibility difficult, limiting our understanding of the associated biodiversity. Amphipods dominate vagile epifauna in marine habitats around the world, fulfilling important ecosystem functions. However, there are no studies on amphipods exclusively associated with black corals, including relationships between their ecological patterns (e.g., abundances) and the size of coral colonies. We investigated the epifaunal composition and abundance associated with black coral colonies of Antipathella wollastoni in the subtropical eastern Atlantic Ocean. In total, 1,736 epifaunal individuals were identified, of which 1,706 (98.27%) were amphipods, belonging to 6 taxa. We identified and described a new amphipod genus and species within the Stenothoidae family, Wollastenothoe minuta gen. nov., sp. nov., which outnumbered the amphipod assemblage (86.15%) and provided a complete taxonomic key of Stenothoidae family including this new finding. For the first time, the association between an amphipod species and a black coral was described, including a strong correlation between coral colony size and amphipod abundances. This study demonstrates that epifauna associated with mesophotic black corals remains largely undescribed.

Keywords: Stenothoidae, Key to species, Antipathella wollastoni, Epifauna, Marine animal forests

Wollastenothoe minuta gen. nov., sp. nov. SEM pictures, MNHN-IU-2021–8808.
a Lateral view; b Maxilla 2, left; c Lower lip; d Gnathopod 2, outer face, dactylus and propodus; e Gnathopod 1, inner face, dactylus and propodus; f Urosome, lateral view.

 Scale bars: a: 0.25 mm; b: 0.01 mm; c: 0.01 mm, d, e: 0.02; f: 0.1 mm

 

Taxonomy

Class Malacostraca Latreille 1806

Order Amphipoda Latreille 1816

Suborder Senticaudata Lowry & Myers 2013

Family Stenothoidae Boeck 1871

Genus Wollastenothoe Gouillieux & Navarro-Mayoral gen. nov.

Diagnosis of the new genus: Body dorsally smooth. Head without rostrum. Antenna 1 article 1 not nasiform; accessory flagellum with 1 article. Mandible palp with 1 article, molar process conical. Maxilla 1 palp with 2 articles. Gnathopod 1 and 2 subchelate, subequal. P5 basis rectolinear without posterodistal lobe. P6-7 basis widened.

Etymology: The genus name, Wollastenothoe, refers the combination of host name corresponding to the species of black coral (i.e., Antipathella wollastoni) with the genus name Stenothoe belonging to the Stenothoidae family.

  Wollastenothoe minuta Gouillieux & Navarro-Mayoral gen. nov., sp. nov.,  

Diagnosis: Body length less than 1.5 mm. Antenna subequal, shorter than half length of body. Antenna 1 accessory flagellum with 1 small article. Gnathopod 1 and 2 subchelate, subequal. Pereonite 4 slightly longer than pereonite 3. Coxa 4 ventral margin concave. Coxae 5–7 posterior margin with a notch. P5 basis rectolinear without posterodistal lobe. P6-7 basis widened with posterodistal lobe reaching along half of ischium, merus posterodistal lobe reaching more than half length of carpus. Telson with dorsal spines.

 

Etymology. The epithet specific of the species, minuta, refers to its small size.

Type locality. Puerto del Carmen, Lanzarote, Canary Islands, Spain.

Sandra Navarro-Mayoral, Benoit Gouillieux, Victoria Fernandez-Gonzalez, Fernando Tuya, Ninon Lecoquierre, Lorenzo Bramanti, Lucas Terrana, Fernando Espino, Jean-François Flot, Ricardo Haroun and Francisco Otero-Ferrer. 2024. “Hidden” Biodiversity: A New amphipod Genus dominates Epifauna in Association with a mesophotic Black Coral Forest. Coral Reefs. DOI: 10.1007/s00338-024-02491-y

 twitter.com/philebo73/status/1780971901126328651

[Cnidaria • 2023] Aphanipathes puertoricoensis • A New Species of Black Coral (Anthozoa: Antipatharia: Aphanipathidae) from Puerto Rico

[A, B, F] Aphanipathes puertoricoensis Horowitz & Quattrini, 

[D, G] Anozopathes palauensis

in Horowitz, Opresko, González-García & Quattrini, 2023

DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1173.104141

Abstract

Black corals (Anthozoa: Antipatharia) are an anthozoan lineage in the class Hexacorallia that occur across a wide range of habitats from the tropics to the poles and from surface waters to depths deeper than 8000 m. A new species of black coral, Aphanipathes puertoricoensis sp. nov., collected with a remotely operated vehicle 357 m deep off Puerto Rico is recognized in the family Aphanipathidae. The new species is characterized by very long and loosely coiled primary branches and up to 0.5 mm tall spines with as many as 40 or more small conical tubercles. A phylogeny composed of 13 taxa that are closely related to the new species was reconstructed from 793 nuclear loci to show their systematic relationships. Our study integrated morphological and genomic data to show that this new species is distinct from other species in the genus Aphanipathes. Furthermore, our results add to the growing knowledge of black coral diversity, while further demonstrating the need for exploration in deep waters of the Caribbean Sea.

Key words: Aphanipathes, molecular phylogenetics, morphology, targeted capture, taxonomy, ultraconserved elements

Comparison of species of Aphanipathes and Anozopathes:
A Aphanipathes puertoricoensis sp. nov., yellow line indicates from where holotype fragment USNM 1660436 was collected B Aphanipathes puertoricoensis sp. nov. holotype collected fragment (USNM 1660436)
C Aphanipathes pedata holotype (NHMUK 1843.2.6.105) D Anozopathes palauensis holotype (USNM 1007104) E Aphanipathes sarothamnoides part of holotype (NHMUK 1890.4.9.5)
F polyps of Aphanipathes puertoricoensis sp. nov. holotype (USNM 1660436) G polyps of Anozopathes palauensis holotype (USNM 1007104).

Family Aphanipathidae Opresko, 2004

Genus Aphanipathes Brook, 1889

 Aphanipathes puertoricoensis Horowitz & Quattrini, sp. nov.

Type locality: Guayanilla Canyon, Puerto Rico, Caribbean Sea, 357 m depth.

Diagnosis: Tall, sparsely branched colony with two and rarely three orders of branches. Stem 0.2 m tall, first order branches over 1 m long, distally slightly curved or coiled, and arranged irregularly around stem; second order branches short and sparsely occurring; third order branches rare. Distal branch angles usually close to 90°. Spines form a distinct quincunx pattern with six axial rows of spines counted in one view. Polypar spines up to 0.5 mm tall, possess 20 to 40 or more small conical tubercles visible in lateral view that extend from the tip halfway to the base. Abpolypar spines up to 0.32 mm tall, possess 10 to 20 small conical tubercles visible in lateral view that extend from the tip halfway to the base. Polypar and abpolypar spines spaced 0.47 to 0.57 mm apart with three spines per mm in each row. Polyps 1.1 to 1.6 mm in diameter, arranged in a single series, with six to eight polyps per cm.

Jeremy Horowitz, Dennis M. Opresko, María del P. González-García and Andrea M. Quattrini. 2023. Description of A New Species of Black Coral in the Family Aphanipathidae (Anthozoa, Antipatharia) from Puerto Rico. ZooKeys. 1173: 97-110. DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1173.104141

[Cnidaria • 2022] Diplopathes antarctica, D. multipinnata & D. tuatoruensis • New Genus and Species of Black Coral (Anthozoa: Antipatharia: Schizopathidae) from the SW Pacific and Antarctica

Diplopathes sp.

Opresko, Stewart, Voza, Tracey & Brugler, 2022

DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5169.1.3 

 twitter.com/BlackCoralLab

Abstract

A new genus, Diplopathes, in the family Schizopathidae, and three new species are described from the Southwest Pacific and Antarctic region based on morphological data. The new genus superficially resembles Telopathes in being branched and having simple, bilateral pinnules, but differs in having strictly alternately arranged pinnules, and in having small polyps 4 mm or less in transverse diameter. Mitochondrial DNA placed Diplopathes and Telopathes in separate clades within the Schizopathidae, thus supporting the significance of seemingly subtle anatomical differences. The new species are: D. antarctica, with sparse branching, pinnules of up to 7 cm long, and polypar spines up to 0.045 mm tall; D. multipinnata, with dense branching, pinnules up to 3 cm long, and polypar spines up to 0.1 mm tall; and D. tuatoruensis, with very sparse branching, pinnules up to 10 cm long, and polypar spines up to 0.1 mm. Interestingly, the three new species do not form a monophyletic clade based on mitochondrial DNA. We propose and discuss two hypotheses to explain the results of the phylogenetic reconstruction, including that molecular and physical change are uncoupled or that we have uncovered another example of morphological convergence in unrelated species.

 Keywords: Coelenterata, Morphological convergence, ITS2, mitochondrial DNA, New Zealand, SRP54, taxonomy, Telopathes

 

Dennis M. Opresko, Rob Stewart, Tatiana Voza, Di Tracey and Mercer R. Brugler. 2022. New Genus and Species of Black Coral from the SW Pacific and Antarctica (Cnidaria: Anthozoa: Antipatharia: Schizopathidae). Zootaxa. 5169(1); 31-48. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5169.1.3

  twitter.com/BlackCoralLab/status/1552105387851137025

[Cnidaria • 2017] Zoantharians (Hexacorallia: Zoantharia) Associated with Cold-Water Corals in the Azores Region: New Species and Associations in the Deep Sea

Epizoanthus martinsae 

Carreiro-Silva, Ocaña, Stanković, Sampaio, Porteiro, Fabri & Stefanni, 2017 

DOI:  10.3389/fmars.2017.00088 

 

Zoantharians are a group of cnidarians that are often found in association with marine invertebrates, including corals, in shallow and deep-sea environments. However, little is known about deep-sea zoantharian taxonomy, specificity and nature of their associations with their coral hosts. In this study, analyses of molecular data (mtDNA COI, 16S, and 12S rDNA) coupled with ecological and morphological characteristics were used to examine zoantharian specimens associated with cold-water corals (CWC) at depths between 110 and 800 m from seamounts and island slopes in the Azores region. The zoantharians examined were found living in association with stylasterids, antipatharians and octocorals. From the collected specimens, four new species were identified: (1) Epizoanthus martinsae sp. n. associated with the antipatharian Leiopathes sp.; (2) Parazoanthus aliceae sp. n. associated with the stylasterid Errina dabneyi (Pourtalès, 1871); (3) Zibrowius alberti sp. n. associated with octocorals of the family Primnoidae [Paracalyptrophora josephinae (Lindström, 1877)] and the family Plexauridae (Dentomuricea aff. meteor Grasshoff, 1977); (4) Hurlizoanthus hirondelleae sp. n. associated with the primnoid octocoral Candidella imbricata (Johnson, 1862). In addition, based on newly collected material, morphological and molecular data and phylogenic reconstruction, the zoantharian Isozoanthus primnoidus Carreiro-Silva, Braga-Henriques, Sampaio, de Matos, Porteiro & Ocaña, 2011, associated with the primnoid octocoral Callogorgia verticillata (Pallas, 1766), was reclassified as Zibrowius primnoidus comb. nov. The zoantharians, Z. primnoidus comb. nov., Z. alberti sp. n., and H. hirondelleae sp. n. associated with octocorals showed evidence of a parasitic relationship, where the zoantharian progressively eliminates gorgonian tissue and uses the gorgonian axis for structure and support, and coral sclerites for protection. In contrast, the zoantharian P. aliceae sp. n. associated with the stylasterid E. dabneyi and the zoantharian E. martinsae sp. n. associated with the antipatharian Leiopathes sp., appear to use the coral host only as support with no visible damage to the host. The monophyly of octocoral-associated zoantharians suggests that substrate specificity is tightly linked to the evolution of zoantharians.

Keywords: antipatharians, gorgonians, molecular taxonomy, parasitic, phylogeny, stylasterids, Zoantharia

Systematics 

Phylum Cnidaria Hatschek, 1888 

Class Anthozoa Ehrenberg, 1831 

Subclass Hexacorallia Haeckel, 1896 

Order Zoantharia Gray, 1832 

Suborder Macrocnemina Haddon and Shackleton, 1891 

 

Family Parazoanthidae Delage and Hérouard, 1901 

 

Genus Zibrowius Sinniger, Ocaña & Baco, 2013

Zibrowius primnoidus comb. nov.

Zibrowius alberti sp. n. 

Etymology: This species name is dedicated to Prince Albert I of Monaco for his promotion of the oceanographic sciences in the late 19th to early 20th centuries, and for his oceanographic campaigns in the Azores which contributed to the increased knowledge of CWCs and associated fauna in the region.

Genus Hurlizoanthus Sinniger, Ocaña & Baco, 2013 

Hurlizoanthus hirondelleae sp. n.  

Etymology This species name is dedicated to the research yacht Hirondelle used by Prince Albert I of Monaco during his oceanographic campaigns in the Azores.

Genus Parazoanthus Haddon and Shackleton, 1891

 

Parazoanthus aliceae sp.n.  

Etymology This species name is dedicated to another research yacht of Prince Albert I of Monaco, Princess Alice, used during his oceanographic campaigns in the Azores, and during which the homonymous seamount was discovered.

 

associated zoantharian Epizoanthus martinsae sp. n.
Specimen DOP-3609 (Holotype). 

Family Epizoanthidae Delage and Hérouard, 1901

Genus Epizoanthus Gray, 1867

 

Epizoanthus martinsae sp. n.   

Etymology The name of this species is dedicated to Dr. Helen Martins, researcher at the Department of Oceanography and Fisheries of the University of the Azores for her contribution to the advancement of marine science in the Azores through her research and dedication to the Azorean scientific journal Arquipélago.

Marina Carreiro-Silva, Oscar Ocaña, David Stanković, Íris Sampaio, Filipe M. Porteiro\, Marie-Claire Fabri and Sergio Stefanni. 2017. Zoantharians (Hexacorallia: Zoantharia) Associated with Cold-Water Corals in the Azores Region: New Species and Associations in the Deep Sea. Front. Mar. Sci.  4:88. DOI:  10.3389/fmars.2017.00088 

Researchgate.net/publication/316542155_Zoantharians_Associated_with_Cold-Water_Corals_in_the_Azores_Region

 bbc.com/news/science-environment-55427860

[Cnidaria • 2020] Antipathes sylospongia, Alternatipathes venusta & Umbellapathes litocrada • New Species of Black Corals (Anthozoa: Antipatharia) from Deep-sea Seamounts and Ridges in the North Pacific

Umbellapathes litocrada 

Opresko & Wagner, 2020

DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4868.4.5 

 Photos courtesy of NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research.

Abstract

Three new species of antipatharian corals are described from deep-sea (677–2,821 m) seamounts and ridges in the North Pacific, including Antipathes sylospongia, Alternatipathes venusta, and Umbellapathes litocrada. Most of the material for these descriptions was collected on expeditions aboard NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer that were undertaken as part of the Campaign to Address Pacific Monument Science, Technology, and Ocean Needs (CAPSTONE). One of the main goals of CAPSTONE was to characterize the deep-sea fauna in protected waters of the U.S. Pacific, as well as in the Prime Crust Zone, the area with the highest known concentration of commercially valuable deep-sea minerals in the Pacific. Species descriptions and distribution data are supplemented with in situ photo records, including those from deep-sea exploration programs that have operated in the North Pacific in addition to CAPSTONE, namely the Hawaii Undersea Research Laboratory (HURL), the Ocean Exploration Trust (OET), and the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI).

Keywords: Cnidaria; Black corals; morphology; taxonomy; Antipathidae, Schizopathidae, Hawaii, Johnston Atoll, new species

Order Antipatharia Milne Edwards, 1857 

Family Antipathidae Ehrenberg, 1834

Antipathes sylospongia sp. nov., in situ photographs:
A. holotype; B. paratype;
C. HURL-P4-228-Spec. 2; D. colony photographed at 1,357 m off Lisianski (specimen not collected);
E. Close-up in situ photograph of the paratype; F. Close-up photograph of colony at 1,800 m at West Northampton Seamount specimen not collected).

 Photos courtesy of NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research.

Genus Antipathes Pallas, 1766

Antipathes sylospongia sp. nov. 

Diagnosis. Colonies found in association with glass sponges (Fig. 1); to date only recorded growing on Farrea occa and an unidentified sponge in the family Tretodictyidae. Corallum loosely branched, without a noticeable main stem or major branches. Branches very thin, extending out in all directions. End-branchlets small, mostly less than 2 cm, varying distances apart; tending to be arranged bilaterally along individual branches; but the arrangement can be quite irregular, in some places alternating, and often in subopposite pairs. Spines small, triangular in lateral view, with rounded apex; polypar spines up to 0.03 mm, abpolypar spines 0.01 to 0.02 mm. Polyps mostly about 1.5 mm in transverse diameter (maximum about 2 mm); arranged uniserially with 5 polyps per cm. 

Etymology. The species name “sylospongia” is derived from the Greek prefix “syl” meaning “with”, the connecting vowel “o” and “spongia” for the sponge hosts. To date, all known records of this species are in strict association with hexactinellid sponge hosts, either Farrea occa or an unidentified species in the family Tretodictyidae. 

Distribution. Currently only known from the Musician Seamounts and the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands between Nihoa and Lisianski at depths ranging between 677–1,800 m (Fig. 5). 

Antipathes sylospongia sp. nov., in situ. 
 colony photographed at 1,357 m off Lisianski (specimen not collected).
Photo courtesy of NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research.

In situ photograph of Alternatipathes venusta sp. nov. holotype (USNM 1404492) photographed near McCall Seamount at 2,638 m.

Photo courtesy of NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research.

Family Schizopathidae Brook, 1889

Alternatipathes Molodtsova and Opresko, 2017

Alternatipathes venusta sp. nov. 

Diagnosis. Colony attached, monopodial, unbranched, and pinnulate. Pinnules simple, arranged alternately in two lateral rows along upper part of stem. Lower unpinnulated section of the stem up to two times longer than upper pinnulated section. Pinnules generally decreasing in length proximally (>13 cm) to distally (~3 cm) in a colony with a 17 cm long pinnulated section. Pinnules 4–6 mm apart on either side of axis; nine to 11 pinnules (total for both rows) per 3 cm. Polypar spines on pinnules, conical, smooth, acute, and up to 0.22 mm tall; a few are bifurcated. Abpolypar spines short, triangular, up to 0.08 mm tall. Five to six rows of spines visible in lateral view; with 4 spines per mm within each row on polypar side; 3–4 spines per mm on abpolypar side. Polyps about 5 mm in transverse diameter, with 2 polyps per cm. 

Etymology. From the Latin “venusta” meaning beautiful. 

Distribution. Currently only known from the Hawaiian Islands and Gorda Ridge at depths ranging between 2,638–2,821 m (Fig. 8). 

Umbellapathes litocrada sp. nov. holotype photographed in situ on Hutchinson Seamount at 1,529 m.

Photo courtesy of NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research.

FIGURE 12. In situ photographs of colonies presumed to be Umbellapathes litocrada sp. nov. (specimens were not collected):
A. colony on Hutchinson seamount at 1,504 m; B. colony on unnamed seamount north of Johnston Atoll at 1,940 m;
C. colony on Rapano Ridge at 1,973 m. D. colony on Naifeh Seamount at 1839.

Photos courtesy of NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research (A–B) and Ocean Exploration Trust (C–D).

Umbellapathes Opresko, 2005

Umbellapathes litocrada sp. nov.

Diagnosis. Corallum monopodial, branched and pinnulate. Stem consisting of long lower unpinnulated section (stalk) and upper distal section with simple bilateral primary pinnules some of which develop into branches showing same pinnulation pattern as stem, and which together form a discoidally shaped crown. Secondary pinnules not present on primary pinnules of stem or branches. Branches developing mainly from basal-most pinnules on stem and a varying number of more distal ones. Corallum has up to three orders of branches. Pinnules on stem generally arranged alternately in two anterolateral to lateral rows. Pinnules not uniform in length; longest ones often in middle or on distal part of branch. Pinnular density 9–11 per 3 cm. Spines on pinnules short, triangular to semispherical in shape. Polypar spines up to 0.08 mm tall from midpoint of base to apex. Spines arranged in very irregular axial rows, five or six rows visible in lateral view, with about 4 spines per mm in each row. Polyps 3–4.5 mm in transverse diameter; with 2 to 3 polyps per cm. 

Etymology. From the Greek “litos” meaning “simple” and “crada” meaning “branch”, referring to the fact that the pinnules are not subpinnulate, as in U. helioanthes. 

Distribution. Currently only known from the Hawaiian Islands, the Musician Seamounts and seamounts near Johnston Atoll at depths ranging between 1,504–2,413 m (Fig. 13). 

 

  Dennis M. Opresko and Daniel Wagner. 2020. New Species of Black Corals (Cnidaria: Anthozoa: Antipatharia) from Deep-sea Seamounts and Ridges in the North Pacific. Zootaxa. 4868(4); 543–559. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4868.4.5 

New coral species discovered on seabed prized for mining potential

msn.com/en-au/news/world/new-coral-species-discovered-on-seabed-prized-for-mining-potential/ar-BB1auubY