NOAA's Office of Ocean Exploration and Research
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Villogorgia nigrescens has been found in the northeast and southeast of the Gulf of Mexico at depths of 58-478 meters and is found throughout the Caribbean from the Yucatan Peninsula to the Lesser Antilles.
Villogorgia nigrescens is a small sea fan that varies in color from white to cream or pale yellow.
The sea fan branches abundantly, in one plane.
The branches and branchlets are thin, with a diameter of 1 mm or less, and the polyps are arranged laterally.
Most colonies are about 10 cm in size, but larger colonies of up to 20 cm have been observed.
Villogorgia colonies are as wide as they are tall, their distal tips contain two polyps that are perpendicular to the axis and form a “T” shape.
Etymology: The specific epithet “nigrescens” is a Latin form meaning “blackish” and refers to the dark coloration of the species.
Since blackish does not match the color listed above (white to cream or pale yellow), we asked Dr. Catherine S. McFadden for advice on this, we have included her response here:
"I have no idea why Duchassaing & Michelotti called it ‘nigrescens’, and there is no mention of the color at all in their original description.
My guess would be that they were examining dried material, and most of these paramuriceid gorgonians have blackish skeletons or oxidize to a blackish (or often dark blue) color when preserved.
Dr. Peter Etnoyer's description of the color refers to the living colonies.
Just a guess..."
Synonym: Paramuricea nigrescens (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1860)
Villogorgia nigrescens is a small sea fan that varies in color from white to cream or pale yellow.
The sea fan branches abundantly, in one plane.
The branches and branchlets are thin, with a diameter of 1 mm or less, and the polyps are arranged laterally.
Most colonies are about 10 cm in size, but larger colonies of up to 20 cm have been observed.
Villogorgia colonies are as wide as they are tall, their distal tips contain two polyps that are perpendicular to the axis and form a “T” shape.
Etymology: The specific epithet “nigrescens” is a Latin form meaning “blackish” and refers to the dark coloration of the species.
Since blackish does not match the color listed above (white to cream or pale yellow), we asked Dr. Catherine S. McFadden for advice on this, we have included her response here:
"I have no idea why Duchassaing & Michelotti called it ‘nigrescens’, and there is no mention of the color at all in their original description.
My guess would be that they were examining dried material, and most of these paramuriceid gorgonians have blackish skeletons or oxidize to a blackish (or often dark blue) color when preserved.
Dr. Peter Etnoyer's description of the color refers to the living colonies.
Just a guess..."
Synonym: Paramuricea nigrescens (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1860)
