Skip to main content Skip to main navigation menu Skip to site footer
Responsive image
Issue: Vol. 541 No. 1: 18 Jun. 2004
Type: Article
Published: 2004-06-18
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.541.1.1
Page range: 1–15
Abstract views: 36
PDF downloaded: 34

New species of the gorgoniian genus Pacifigorgia (Coelenterata: Octocorallia: Gorgoniidae) from Pacific Panama

Museo de Zoología, Escuela de Biología, Universidad de Costa Rica, P.O. Box 1962-2100, San José, Costa Rica
Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute P.O. Box 2072, Balboa, Panama
Coelenterata Cnidaria eastern Pacific gorgonians Gorgoniidae octocorals Pacifigorgia Panama soft corals coral reefs new species

Abstract

Four new shallow water species of the genus Pacifigorgia were found in recent surveys along the Pacific coast of Panama. One of the species was only found in dense patches at two shallow seamount-like localities inside the Coiba National Park, Gulf of Chiriqu . Two other species were patchily distributed at several localities in the Gulf of Chiriqu . A fourth species was widely distributed around the gulfs of Chiriqu and Panama encompassing a broad range of habitats and depths. The new species are described and illustrated in detail with scanning electron micrographs (SEM) of the sclerites, and colour photographs of the colony forms. The suspected occurrence of a particular Pacifigorgia species for this region is confirmed and two other new records are added to the species list. With the new four species, a total of 15 are established for Panama, making 31 species for the eastern Pacific to date.

References

  1. Bayer, F.M. (1951) A revision of the nomenclature of the Gorgoniidae (Coelenterata: Octocorallia) with an illustrated key to the genera. Journal of the Washington Academy of Sciences, 41, 91– 102.

    Bayer, F.M. (1961) The shallow water Octocorallia of the West Indian Region. A manual for marine biologists. Martinus Nijhoff, The Hague, 400 pp.

    Breedy, O. (2001) A new species of Pacifigorgia from the eastern Pacific (Coelenterata: Octocorallia: Gorgoniidae). Bulletin of the Biological Society of Washington, 10, 181–187.

    Breedy, O. & Guzman, H.M. (2002) A Revision of the genus Pacifigorgia (Coelenterata: Octocorallia: Gorgoniidae). Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington, 115, 787, 844.

    Breedy, O. & Guzman, H.M. (2003a) A new species of Pacifigorgia (Coelenterata: Octocorallia: Gorgoniidae) from Panama. Zootaxa, 128, 1–10.

    Breedy, O. & Guzman, H.M. (2003b) Octocorals from Costa Rica. The genus Pacifigorgia (Coelenterata: Octocorallia: Gorgoniidae). Zootaxa, 281, 1–60.

    Hickson, S. J. (1928) The Gorgonacea of Panama Bay together with a description of one species from the Galapagos Islands and one of Trinidad. Videnskavelige Meddelelser fra den naturhistoriske Forening i Kovenhavn for Aarene, 85, 325–422.

    Lamouroux, J.V.F. (1812) Extrait d’un mémoire sur la classification des Polypiers coralligènes non entièrement pierreux. Nouveau Bulletin des Sciences, par la Société Philomatique, Paris, 3(63), 181–188.

    Stiasny, G. (1943) Gorgonaria von Panama. Aus der Sammlung Dr. Th. Mortensen, Zoologisk Museum, Kopenhagen. Videnskavelige Meddelelser fra den naturhistoriske Forening i Kovenhavn for Aarene, 107, 59–103.

    Valenciennes, A. (1846) Zoophytes. In: Abel Dupetit-Thouars, Voyage autour du monde sur la frégate la Vénus, pendant les années 1836–1839. Atlas de Zoologie, pls. 1–15.

    Verrill, A.E. (1868) Notes on Radiata in the Museum of Yale College, Number 6: Review of the corals and polyps of the West Coast of America. Transactions of the Connecticut Academy of Arts and Sciences, (Second Edition), 1, 377–422.