Peer Aquatic Biology
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Chrysogorgia dendritica was recovered by the (ROV) FaXian (Discovery) from an unnamed seamount (temporarily designated M2) near the Mariana Trench and Kocebu Guyot in the Magellan Seamounts in the tropical western Pacific during cruises of the R/V KeXue (Science) in 2016 and 2018.
One specimen was approximately 57 cm in length, although the holding device was not recovered.
The colony was arboreal, consisting of a 36 cm long straight unbranched stem and a 21 cm long branched portion.
The entire stem is monopodial from bottom to top with lateral branches at the apex, the stem surface almost smooth with strong golden metallic luster, about two mm in diameter at the base
Branches are dichotomously divided, most of them broken after collecting, the distance between adjacent branches was 16 - 22 mm.
Internodes of the first branches are 15-20 mm long, those of the terminal branches up to 50 mm.
Diem polyps have a long neck and expanded base, about three mm long and two mm wide at the base, consisting of one or two on the first internodes, one to five in the middle internodes, and up to six in the terminal branches.
Golden colored eggs frequently occurred on the expanded bases.
Distribution and habitat. Found only in the Kocebu Guyot, where the colony had attached to a dead sponge.
Water temperature was about 2.31 °C and salinity about 35.8 psu.
Etymology. The Latin adjective "dendriticus" (dendritic) refers to the dendritic shape of the colony.
Literature reference:
Xu Y, Zhan Z, Xu K. 2020.
Morphology and molecular phylogeny of three new deep-sea species of Chrysogorgia (Cnidaria, Octocorallia) from seamounts in the tropical Western Pacific Ocean.
PeerJ 8:e8832 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.8832
One specimen was approximately 57 cm in length, although the holding device was not recovered.
The colony was arboreal, consisting of a 36 cm long straight unbranched stem and a 21 cm long branched portion.
The entire stem is monopodial from bottom to top with lateral branches at the apex, the stem surface almost smooth with strong golden metallic luster, about two mm in diameter at the base
Branches are dichotomously divided, most of them broken after collecting, the distance between adjacent branches was 16 - 22 mm.
Internodes of the first branches are 15-20 mm long, those of the terminal branches up to 50 mm.
Diem polyps have a long neck and expanded base, about three mm long and two mm wide at the base, consisting of one or two on the first internodes, one to five in the middle internodes, and up to six in the terminal branches.
Golden colored eggs frequently occurred on the expanded bases.
Distribution and habitat. Found only in the Kocebu Guyot, where the colony had attached to a dead sponge.
Water temperature was about 2.31 °C and salinity about 35.8 psu.
Etymology. The Latin adjective "dendriticus" (dendritic) refers to the dendritic shape of the colony.
Literature reference:
Xu Y, Zhan Z, Xu K. 2020.
Morphology and molecular phylogeny of three new deep-sea species of Chrysogorgia (Cnidaria, Octocorallia) from seamounts in the tropical Western Pacific Ocean.
PeerJ 8:e8832 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.8832
