NOOA Ocean Explorer / National Exploration and Research
Info
Stauropathes punctata was discovered in the Rio Grande Rise, a mid-ocean ridge in the southern Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Brazil, and on Josephine Seamount, a submerged volcano in the North Atlantic Ocean.
Stauropathes punctata is an azooxanthellate black coral that has a yellow outer coloration and grows in a bush-like shape.
The corallum is branched and pinnate, with dichotomously branched branches that grow mainly in one plane and are partially intertwined.
Its branches are very regular.
The pinnules are arranged in two bilateral rows and in subopposite pairs. The pinnules in the same row are 7–8 mm apart on the larger branches and 6–7 mm apart on the smaller branches.
The spines are triangular and smooth, generally 0.02–0.04 mm high, with a distance between spines in the same row of 0.1–0.4 mm (adapted from Roule, 1905, and Opresko, 2002).
Etymology: The specific name is derived from the Greek “stauros” (cross) and “crada” (branch) and refers to the cross-shaped appearance of the leaflets.
Synonyms:
Antipathes punctata (Roule, 1905) · unaccepted (new combination)
Tylopathes (Eutylopathes) punctata Roule, 1905 · unaccepted > superseded combination
Tylopathes punctata Roule, 1905 · unaccepted (new combination)
Stauropathes punctata is an azooxanthellate black coral that has a yellow outer coloration and grows in a bush-like shape.
The corallum is branched and pinnate, with dichotomously branched branches that grow mainly in one plane and are partially intertwined.
Its branches are very regular.
The pinnules are arranged in two bilateral rows and in subopposite pairs. The pinnules in the same row are 7–8 mm apart on the larger branches and 6–7 mm apart on the smaller branches.
The spines are triangular and smooth, generally 0.02–0.04 mm high, with a distance between spines in the same row of 0.1–0.4 mm (adapted from Roule, 1905, and Opresko, 2002).
Etymology: The specific name is derived from the Greek “stauros” (cross) and “crada” (branch) and refers to the cross-shaped appearance of the leaflets.
Synonyms:
Antipathes punctata (Roule, 1905) · unaccepted (new combination)
Tylopathes (Eutylopathes) punctata Roule, 1905 · unaccepted > superseded combination
Tylopathes punctata Roule, 1905 · unaccepted (new combination)
