Soft corals, sea fans, gorgonians (Octocorallia: Alcyonacea) and black and wire corals (Ceriantipatharia: Antipatharia) from submarine caves in Hong Kong with a checklist of local species and a description of a new species of Paraminabea

Abstract

Twenty species of soft corals belonging to the Octocorallia and one species of Ceriantipatharia were collected from two submarine caves in the oceanic southeastern waters of Hong Kong. Of these, 13 octocorals and one black coral were new records for Hong Kong. One new species, Paraminabea hongkongensis sp. nov., is described herein. Sixty octocorals and six ceriantipatharians have now been recorded from Hong Kong, most from open areas of the seabed. That the 14 new records for Hong Kong are from small marine caves highlights the importance of such marine habitats locally. None of the 14 species is a cave endemic, however, all have been recorded from elsewhere in the Indo‐West Pacific. Nevertheless, it is recommended that Hong Kong's submarine caves be designated as Sites of Special Scientific Interest and possibly further receive protection under the Marine Parks Ordinance (1995).

Keywords:

• submarine caves
• Hong Kong
• Octocorallia
• Ceriantipatharia

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank expedition divers, including Paul Hodgson, Graham Blackmore, Paul Clark, Nick Evans and Steven Chow, for assisting with specimen collection. Thanks are also due to the anonymous reviewers for their comments on this manuscript.