Antipathella subpinnata (Antipatharia, Myriopathidae) in Italian seas

Figures & data

Figure 1 Antipathella subpinnata. A, dry colony. B, spines on an apical portion of the axis (2 mm in diameter). C, dendritic spines at the base of the axis. D,E, conical spines on a major branch (0.3 mm in diameter). F, spines on a primary pseudo‐pinnule (0.1 mm in diameter). G, arrangement of pseudo‐pinnules on a branch. H,I, arrangement of polyps on pinnules. L, living polyp. M, fixed polyps. N, p‐Mastigophore microbasic 29×6 µm (shaft 9.6 µm long). O, p‐Mastigophore microbasic 22×5 µm (shaft 8 µm long). P, SEM photo of tentacular spirocysts. Q,R, basitrich isorhizas 20×3 µm. S, basitrich isorhiza 9×2 µm. Scale Bar: N–S, 10 µm; E, 100 µm; C, D, F, L, 200 µm; H, I, M, 700 µm; B, 1 mm; G, 1 cm; A, 10 cm.

Figure 2 In situ photographs of Antipathella subpinnata. A, colony with shark's egg. Portofino. Photo Andrea Ghisotti. B, colonies offering refuge to some Anthias anthias. Messina Strait. Photo Gianni Neto. C, colonies photographed by ROV at 90 m depth in Portofino. Sponges Axinellae spp. present at the base of the coral. Courtesy of Prof. Riccardo Cattaneo‐Vietti. D, big colonies of white A. subpinnata. Messina Strait. Photo Francesco Turano. E, colony on the rocky substrate of Favazzina, Messina Strait (62 m depth). Colonies of Paramuricea clavata in the background. Photo Gianmichele Iaria. F, Capraia Island. Photo Andrea Ghisotti. G,H, colonies on the wreck “Ravenna”, Imperia (75–90 m depth). Photos Aldo Ferrucci, courtesy of Cristiano Aicardi. I, macro photos showing the expanded living polyps. “Scoglio della Formica”, S. Flavia. Photos Santo Tirnetta.

Figure 3 Arrangement of polyps inA. subpinnata. Drawing by Dr Cristina Gioia di Camillo. Scale bar: 0.7 mm.

Figure 4 Distribution map ofAntipathella subpinnata in the Atlantic‐Mediterranean region. Legend of colours: Dark grey/red: historical record sites; light grey/green: current record sites. A, Near Gibraltar. B, Spanish coast. C, French coast. D, Ligurian Sea. Gulf of Naples, Tyrrhenian Sea: E, Bay of Naples; F, Capri Island; G, Nisida Island. H, Tunisian and Algerian coasts. Adriatic Sea: I, Albanian coasts of Otranto Strait, Croatian islands of L, Lastovo; M, Lissa and N, Lagosta. O, North Aegean Sea. Eastern Atlantic (not shown in the map): P, Josephine Seamount; Q, Great Meteor Seamount. R, West Coast of Portugal. S, West Coast of France: Biskaya Bay and Gascogne Gulf. T, Brest, Atlantic France, English Channel. Gulf of Genoa, Genoa, Ligurian Sea: a, Bordighera; b, Wreck ‘Ravenna’, Imperia; c, Capo Mele. Portofino Promontory, Genoa, Ligurian Sea: d, Secca dell'Isuela; e, Punta di Portofino. f, Secca fonda della Civitata, Capraia. G, Capo Comino, Sardinia. h, Ponza, Latina. i, Dorsale della Sciara del Fuoco, Stromboli, Sicily. l, Scoglio della Formica, S. Flavia, Palermo, Sicily. m, Secche di Favazzina, Bagnara, Strait of Messina, RC, Sicily. n, Pantelleria Island, Sicily. o, Gallipoli, Lecce.

Table I. Summary table of the literature data concerning the distribution of A. subpinnata in the Mediterranean Sea.

Author, Year	Locality	Depth (m)	Ecological remarks	Notes
Western Mediterranean
Ellis & Solander, 1786	Near Gibraltar			Holotype lost
Lamouroux, 1821	Mediterranean
Gili, 1987	Catalan Coast	500	Rare in the considered area (continental platform, rocky substrate covered by mud); colony 20–35 cm high	2 colonies collected in Blanes and Roses (Costa Brava)
Riedl, 1983	Near Marsiglia	10?–300		Depth range includes also other two sites (Adriatic Sea and Genoa). Identification of the species not verified for Marsiglia
Rossi, 1971	Monaco	60–200	Coralligenous substrate; 50–60 cm height; includes also Napoli, Lagosta and Otranto
Lacaze‐Duthiers, 1865	Gulf of Naples			Kept alive in aquarium for several days
LoBianco, 1895	Nisida Island	approx. 100	Many big specimens collected by ‘Ingegno’ (for Corallium rubrum) on coralligenous bottoms	Manuscript notes, quoted by Gravier, 1918
Brook, 1889	Gulf of Naples	243		Sample originally in the collection of the Zoological Station of Naples
von Koch, 1889	Capri Island and Gulf of Naples	70	One fragment from Capri collected at 70 m depth, for the others no precise indication	2 fragments, collected separately in Capri, others from the Gulf of Naples
Gravier, 1918	Gulf of Naples			Non classified dry preserved fragments in the collection of the Zoological Station of Naples, studied in 1917
Dantan, 1920	Gulf of Naples	80–100		Collected by fish line
Opresko, 2001	Gulf of Naples			Neotype
Vafidis and Koukouras, 1998	Tunisian and Algerian coasts
Adriatic Sea
Heller, 1868	Lastovo Island, Croatia			1st record for the Adriatic Sea. Fragments of a colony, preserved in Innsbruck, became lost with the exception of one piece in the Natural History Museum of Trieste which was analysed in Breslavia by Pax F., but then lost during WWII in 1945.
Pax, 1952 and Pax & Müller, 1962	Albanian coasts of Otranto Strait 40°8,5′ N–19°32,5′ E and Boka Kotorska, Dalmatia	236–256	Otranto: Possibly a colony of Antipathes dichotoma. Muddy bottom, together with Isidella elongata	Otranto: Fragment collected by fishing trawl during the Hvar Expedition in 1948 (Stn 167); in the collection of the Oceanographic Institute in Split. Dalmatia: in the collection of the Dubrovnik Museum
Pax & Müller, 1955	Dalmatia			2 fragments of a colony; labelled ‘Dalmatia’; conserved in the Natural History Museum of Trieste
Eastern Mediterranean
Vafidis and Koukouras, 1998	Greek Archipelago, North Aegean Sea	80–120	9 colonies on rocks, presence of Pteria hirundo, height of colonies 273–563 mm	1st records for the eastern Mediterranean; Stn 138, 175, 200b (by fishing trawl)
Atlantic Ocean
Grasshoff, 1985	Josephine Seamount	229–241	Sandy surface and sparse rocky substrates, together with gorgonians (Bebryce mollis and Nicella granifera)	1 fragment collected by cutter trawl; Expedition 9c (1967) with the R/V METEOR; Stn 120 KD 41
Grasshoff, 1985	Great Meteor Seamount	292	Together with the gorgonian Ellisella flagellum	1 fragment by Agassiz Trawl; Expedition 19 (1970) with the R/V METEOR; Stn 129 AT 96
Nobre, 1931	West coast of Portugal
Grasshoff, 1985	Gorringe Ridge and Gettysburg Seamount, Portugal	250
Roule, 1896	Gascogne Gulf	400–500	Coralline and muddy bottoms	Several specimens collected in two stations; Stn 24 (6° 55′ O 46°40′ N) and Stn 28 (9°30′ O 46°40′ N)
Grasshoff, 1985	Biskaya Bay	250
Dantan, 1920	North of Aberwrac'h, Brest, English Channel, Atlantic France	54		Determined by M. Hérouard in Roscoff Laboratory; 1st record for the English Channel; northern known limit of distribution

Table II. Summary table of new data concerning the distribution of A. subpinnata in Italian Seas.

Record site	Locality	Depth (m)	Ecological remarks
Bordighera, Western Ligurian Sea	Fossata of Bordighera	64–75	Isolated rock along a muddy slope; numerous colonies up to 1.2 m high, colonised by Pterya hirundo, and several young smaller colonies; together with Paramuricea clavata; strong currents
Imperia, Western Ligurian Sea	Wreck “Ravenna”	80–92	Artificial substrate (iron); numerous colonies on the prow of the wreck, together with Paramuricea clavata; strong currents always present; colonies minimum 50 cm high
Capo Mele, Western Ligurian Sea		80	Rocky substrate
Portofino Promontory, Eastern Ligurian Sea	Secca dell'Isuela	56–60	10 colonies on a rocky bottom (about 100 m^2); colonies 40–70 cm high; at times sharks' eggs
Portofino Promontory, Eastern Ligurian Sea	Punta di Portofino	100	Sparse colonies on a rocky substrate (ROV images)
Capraia Island, Tuscan Archipelago, Tyrrhenian Sea	Secca fonda della Civitata	75–90	6–7 colonies 40–70 cm high
Capo Comino, Eastern Sardinia, Tyrrhenian Sea		54
Ponza Island, Pontin Archipelago, Tyrrhenian Sea			One colony on a rock
Stromboli Island, Aeolian Archipelago, Tyrrhenian Sea	Dorsale della Sciara del Fuoco	52–58	Few isolated colonies; volcanic rock covered by fine muddy sediment; moderate currents
S. Flavia, Northern Sicily, Tyrrhenian Sea	Scoglio della Formica	55–65	About 100 colonies on a rocky surface (about 40 m^2); site exposed to N‐NW currents; colonies reach 1 m height
Bagnara Calabra, Messina Strait	Secche di Favazzina (“Secca dei Francesi”)	55–70	Dense population on a rocky substrate mixed with Paramuricea clavata, a rich fish community, some Pteria hirundo and sharks' eggs; just on one side of the shoal; colonies 40–60 cm high; at times strong current
Pantelleria Island, Ionian Sea		>70
Gallipoli, Apulian coast, Ionian Sea		>50	Rocky substrate

Figure 5 World distribution map of the species belonging to the genus Antipathella. X, Antipathella subpinnata; •, Antipathella strigosa; ★, Antipathella aperta; ▴, Antipathella fiordensis; ▪, Antipathella wollastoni.

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