Gemeinfreies Foto / Public Domain
Info
The deep-water gorgonian Primnoa notialis is known only from a subantarctic seamount in the Heezen Frac of the Eltanin Fracture Zone System, the site of a deep-water coral bank composed primarily of the stony coral Solenosmilia variabilis.
The growth form of the gorgonian Primnoa notialis resembles that of typical reseda coral
The largest fragments collected were about 40 cm tall, suggesting that complete colonies are much larger, possibly a meter or more in height.
The holotype is a branch fragment 23 cm long, with the thickest main stem about 15 mm in diameter.
In thinner branches and twigs, the axis has a shiny golden sheen, but is brown in most places
with a dull metallic luster; in some places it may be very dark brown, almost black, without luster.
The axial surface is longitudinally grooved, the branching is irregular, bifid, and lies in approximately the same plane.
The terminal branches are upwardly curved and often quite tortuous, some of them have a protruding tip without polyps,
others with a blunt tip about 9 mm in diameter, arising from the bases of the uppermost polyps.
The branches, coming from the bottom of the more or less horizontal branches, turn upwards up to 180°.
Etymology: The species is called notialis (Latin: southern) after the only known Primnoa species south of the equator.
The growth form of the gorgonian Primnoa notialis resembles that of typical reseda coral
The largest fragments collected were about 40 cm tall, suggesting that complete colonies are much larger, possibly a meter or more in height.
The holotype is a branch fragment 23 cm long, with the thickest main stem about 15 mm in diameter.
In thinner branches and twigs, the axis has a shiny golden sheen, but is brown in most places
with a dull metallic luster; in some places it may be very dark brown, almost black, without luster.
The axial surface is longitudinally grooved, the branching is irregular, bifid, and lies in approximately the same plane.
The terminal branches are upwardly curved and often quite tortuous, some of them have a protruding tip without polyps,
others with a blunt tip about 9 mm in diameter, arising from the bases of the uppermost polyps.
The branches, coming from the bottom of the more or less horizontal branches, turn upwards up to 180°.
Etymology: The species is called notialis (Latin: southern) after the only known Primnoa species south of the equator.
