Living genera of sea pens (Coelenterata: Octocorallia: Pennatulacea): illustrated key and synopses

Abstract

An illustrated dichotomous key and synopses of the 32 genera of living pennatulacean octocorals are presented, which incorporate new morphological and distributional data from the examination of recendy collected material. In addition, a key to the 15 extant families, lists of valid genera, synonyms, and a table of comparative characters are also included. Lasdy, a revised classification and phylogenetic considerations are presented. Preliminary investigations indicate that the traditional higher classification scheme of the Pennatulacea is inadequate for reasons of paraphyly and intermediate taxa, that tend to negate precise distinctions between some of the nominal higher taxa. Of the approximately 436 described species of sea pens worldwide, only 186 (or 43%) are estimated to be valid. In addition, several undescribed species have recently been discovered, and others will no doubt be discovered in the future. It is therefore estimated that the extant pennatulacean fauna of the world comprises approximately 200 species in 32 genera.

Revision and redescription of the species previously included in the genus <i>Amphilaphis</i> Studer and Wright in Studer, 1887 (Octocorallia: Primnoidae)

“…The new species Thouarella vitjaz enlarges the geographical and bathymetrical distribution of the family Primnoidae at 6400 m depth, being the deepest known primnoid and octocoral, exceeding the deepest pennatulacean Umbellula found at 6100 m depth (Williams 1995(Williams , 2011. Though the species here reported have been included in different genera, they had already been included in this family.…”

First record ofProtoptilum carpenteri(Cnidaria: Octocorallia: Pennatulacea) in the Mediterranean Sea

“…Between the autozooids there are several to numerous siphonozooids. The sclerites are numerous, three-flanged and mostly spindles (Williams 1995). Protoptilum carpenteri is characterized by a narrow, thin rachis, ca.…”

New records of Pennatulacea (Anthozoa: Octocorallia) from the African Atlantic coast, with description of a new species and a zoogeographic analysis

“…For additional details about the external and internal anatomy of this species see López-González et al (2000). Remarks: Nine species of Kophobelemnon have been considered valid in the last synopses of the living genera of Pennatulacea (Williams, 1995). Four Kophobelemnom species are exclusive to Indo-Pacific areas, two are from Atlantic plus Pacific localities, one from the Caribbean, one from the Mediterranean, and the ninth from the Antarctic Peninsula (Küken-thal, 1915;Keller, et al, 1975;Parternak, 1975;Williams, 1990).…”

“…Pennatulaceans are one of the most common zoological groups in moderately deep and deep waters in all oceans but are still not sufficiently well known from a geographical point of view (Williams, 1995).…”