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Two new gorgonian genera (Octocorallia: Primnoidae) from Southern Ocean waters

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Abstract

Tauroprimnoa austasensis gen. nov., sp. nov. and Digitogorgia kuekenthali gen. nov., sp. nov. are described and illustrated from Southern Ocean waters. The most distinctive characters of the newly proposed genera are, in Tauroprimnoa, the existence of four marginal scales, two abaxials with a strong thorn, and the presence of a single abaxial longitudinal row of body scales. In the case of Digitogorgia, the colony branching pattern, the structure of the opercular scales, and the presence of a complete cycle of accessory opercular scales are the distinct features to distinguish it from previously known genera. Tauroprimnoa austasensis sp. nov. is reported from the Eastern Weddell Sea, Antarctica, while Digitogorgia kuekenthali sp. nov. has been found in the SubAntarctic waters off Burdwood Bank and, in the south east of Isla Nueva in Chilean Patagonia.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Dr. R. van Soest and E. J. Beglinger (Universiteit van Amsterdam) and Bernhard Ruthensteiner and Eva Lodde (Zoologische Staatssammlung München) for lending museum specimens for examination. We also acknowledge the valuable assistance of the officers and crew of the R/V Polarstern, and many colleagues on board during the ANT XIII/4, LAMPOS and BENDEX cruises. We take this opportunity to extend our thanks to the cruise leaders and steering committee of the cruises especially, Wolf E. Arntz (Alfred Wegener Institut, Bremerhaven), who kindly facilitated the work on board, and for the opportunity provided to collaborate in these Antarctic programmes; to Erika Mutschke and Carlos Rios (Universidad de Magallanes,Chile) for making available the material collected during the Polarstern cruise ANT XIII/4. Special thanks are also due to some friends and colleagues for their valuable assistance during ANT XIII/4 (Erika Mutschke, Carlos Rios, Americo Montiel), LAMPOS (Neus Vert and Estefanía Rodríguez) and BENDEX (Estefanía Rodríguez, Josep-Maria Gili) cruises. The authors are also thankful for comments and suggestions given by Setephen Cairns, Phil Alderslade, and the Editor. Support for this study was provided by the Spanish CICYT projects REN2001-4929-E/ANT (LAMPOS), and REN2003-04236 (BENDEX). Mr. Tony Krupa is thanked for reviewing the English version.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Fisiología y Zoología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, Reina Mercedes 6, 41012, Sevilla, Spain

    Rebeca Zapata-Guardiola & Pablo J. López-González

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  1. Rebeca Zapata-Guardiola
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  2. Pablo J. López-González
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Correspondence to Rebeca Zapata-Guardiola.

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Zapata-Guardiola, R., López-González, P.J. Two new gorgonian genera (Octocorallia: Primnoidae) from Southern Ocean waters. Polar Biol 33, 313–320 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-009-0707-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-009-0707-1

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