NOAA Okeanos Explorer
Info
The deep-sea gorgonian Callogorgia cracentis was discovered during a NOAA deep-sea survey using a Deep Discoverer (D2), a remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) in Pacific Ocean around the region of Howland Island, Baker Island, Phoenix Islands and around Tokelau.
The holotype pictured was discovered at a depth of 1,760 meters on Titov Seamount, no other exact information on the depth distribution of the azooxantellate horn coral is currently available.
The holotype is a tall, flat-topped colony about 1 m high, consisting of a basal main stem about 15 cm long bearing three large branches from which smaller branches extend in alternate pinnae.
The polyps are arranged in whorls of three or four and have a horizontal length of 1, 7 -2.2 mm.
At least a dozen brittle stars were observed on the coral.
Similar species: Callogorgia gilberti (Nutting, 1908), Callogorgia flabellum (Ehrenberg, 1834) and Callogorgia ramosa (Kükenthal & Gorzawsky, 1908.
Etymology. This deep ses coral was named "cracentis", from Latin meaning "neat" or "graceful" and is a reference to the uniform length of the colony's branches.
We sincerely thank NOAA Ocean Explorer for the first photo of this species.
The holotype pictured was discovered at a depth of 1,760 meters on Titov Seamount, no other exact information on the depth distribution of the azooxantellate horn coral is currently available.
The holotype is a tall, flat-topped colony about 1 m high, consisting of a basal main stem about 15 cm long bearing three large branches from which smaller branches extend in alternate pinnae.
The polyps are arranged in whorls of three or four and have a horizontal length of 1, 7 -2.2 mm.
At least a dozen brittle stars were observed on the coral.
Similar species: Callogorgia gilberti (Nutting, 1908), Callogorgia flabellum (Ehrenberg, 1834) and Callogorgia ramosa (Kükenthal & Gorzawsky, 1908.
Etymology. This deep ses coral was named "cracentis", from Latin meaning "neat" or "graceful" and is a reference to the uniform length of the colony's branches.
We sincerely thank NOAA Ocean Explorer for the first photo of this species.
