Corresponding author: Stephen D. Cairns (
Academic editor: B.W. Hoeksema
A new genus and species of unbranched golden coral,
Cairns SD, Cordeiro RTS (2017) A new genus and species of golden coral (Anthozoa, Octocorallia, Chrysogorgiidae) from the Northwest Atlantic. ZooKeys 668: 1–10.
Chrysogorgiids form a polyphyletic family of octocorals (
All specimens are preserved in ethanol (70%) and deposited at the National Museum of Natural History. Reference material of all species of
Abbreviations used in the text include:
(after
Fourteen genera have been assigned to the
Worldwide, 31–4492 m depths (
Colonies unbranched (flagelliform), loosely coiled, attached by a holdfast; axis composed of undulating concentric layers (Figs
Until 1956 (
Perhaps most similar to
Off Southeastern United States from North Carolina to Florida, 196–567 m depths.
The name is a combination of
Diagnostic characters of
30°47'30"N, 79°49'W (continental slope off Georgia), 494 m depth.
The colony is unbranched (flagelliform) and quite delicate, with an ascending clockwise spiral growth form (Fig.
Detailed view of polyps and axis in
As in other unbranched octocorals, such as species of
Sclerites of
Southeastern coast of United States from off Outer Banks, North Carolina to off Carysfort Reef (near Key Largo, Florida) (Fig.
Distribution map of
Named
We are grateful to the reviewers Dr. Eric Pante and Dr. Scott France and to Dr. Bert Hoeksema (editor), for their valuable suggestions for the improvement of this manuscript. The second author thanks the Smithsonian for a Short Term Visitor grant, which facilitated the accomplishment of this study. RTSC was also supported by FACEPE (IBPG-0558-2.04/13), Brazil.