Taxonomic status and geographic distribution of Phycogorgia fucata (Valenciennes 1846) (Octocorallia: Gorgoniidae)

ABSTRACT

The octocoral research in Chile has been concentrated along the Patagonian coast; there are few reports about octocoral taxa living north of the fjord region. Although some species have been recorded and collected, the taxonomy is not clear and is in need of reappraisal. Herein we revisit the genus Phycogorgia. The original type material of the monospecific genus Phycogorgia was analysed in this study. Additional material was collected along the Chilean coast, and information on geographic distribution gathered, which reflects the limited biogeographic distribution of this genus throughout the eastern Pacific Ocean. Phycogorgia fucata is characterized by having conspicuous frondose, leaf-like branches which are wide, and strongly flattened; the axes are flat and expanded with carbonate hydroxylapatite mineralized fibres in the central core; the polyps are totally retractile in the coenenchyme in low polyp-mounds; the sclerites are basically capstans, and spindles. The species is re-described and a paratype is designated from the original type material of Valenciennes, establishing the species name correctly following the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature regulations. Phycogorgia fucata was found along the Chilean coast from Concepción to Valdivia, 29–40°S, biogeographically called the Intermediate Area, showing colony morphological variation.

KEYWORDS:

• Alcyonacea
• Chile
• geographic distribution
• Gorgoniidae
• taxonomy

Acknowledgements

We appreciate the anonymous revisers for their comments and suggestions. We are grateful to Marie d’Hondt (in memoriam), former curator at the Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris for sharing her amazing knowledge of the MNHN collection and for sending us the type material for analysis a long time ago. Many thanks to Eva Lodde from the Bavarian State Collection of Zoology; and collection mangers of the Museo de Concepción, Chile. We thank Mr Tim Coffer, Natural History Museum, Smithsonian Institution for Dr F. Bayer’s SEM negatives of Phycogorgia fucata axis. One of us, Judith Camps is grateful to the Master’s degree programme of Marine Ecology at Universidad Católica de la Santísima Concepción for providing the facilities and the materials necessary for collecting material and to Mauricio Altamirano for the boat management.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This project was partially sponsored by Vicerrectoría de Investigación, Universidad de Costa Rica (projects 808-B4242, 810-B5-738), and the Fondecyt project 1131039 and 1201717. This is publication no. 189 of Huinay Scientific Field Station.