Identification Guide for corals and sponges for use by sea-going observers in the SEAFO Convention Area

Ana RAMOS, Raimundo BLANCO, Marcos GONZÁLEZ, Pilar RÍOS, Susana SOTO, Mercedes VARELA and Fran RAMIL

Instituto Español de Oceanografía Universidade de Vigo SPAIN

September 2009

LIST OF MAIN TAXA (SEAFO Identification Guide for corals and sponges

Phylum PORIFERA

Class Hexactinellida* (glass sponges) (Sheet 1) Class Demospongia (Sheet 2)

Phylum Cnidaria

Class Hydrozoa Orders Anthoathecata and Leptothecata (hydroids) (Sheet 3) Order Anthoathecata Family Stylasteridae (hydrocorals) (Sheet 3)

Class Anthozoa

Subclass Octocoralia Order Alcyonacea* (soft corals) (Sheet 4) Order Pennatulacea (sea pen) (Sheet 4) Order Gorgonacea (sea fans) (Sheet 5) Family Isidiidae* (bamboo corals) (Sheet 5) Family Chrisogorgidae* (golden corals) (Sheet 5)

Subclass Hexacorallia Order Antipatharia (black corals) (Sheet 6) Order Scleractinia (stony corals) (Sheet 7)

Invertebrate Identification Preliminary Guide for Guide corals from and spongesVME of inthe the SEAFO SEAFO Area CA (Ramos(Ramos etet al.al.,, 2009)2009) PhylumPhylum Porifera SHEET SHEET 11

Class Hexactinellida (Glass sponges) - Variable body form with tendency to - Attached to hard substrates by radial symmetry: tubes , cups , funnels , cementation or to soft bottoms by long Deep hexactinellids caps, clubs, blades. rooting spicules. from African Atlantic - Deep water species

Invertebrate Identification Preliminary Guide for Guidecorals fromand sponges VME of in the the SEAFO SEAFO Area CA (Ramos et al.,, 2009) Phylum Porifera SHEET 2

Clase Demospongia

- Body form highly variable (often - Consistency either firm or delicate indeterminate) with all intermediate stages. Other deep demospongs - SiSome times w ihififith specific forms - ClColour i n lif lifbe: brown orange, red , from African Atlantic (spheres, funnels or arborescent) yellow, white, blue or black

Pachimastia monilifera

Invertebrate Identification Preliminary Guide for coralsGuide andfrom sponges VME of in the the SEAFO SEAFO Area CA (Ramos (Ramos et et al. al., ,2009) 2009) Phylum Cnidaria - Class Hydrozoa SHEETSHEET 33

Orders Anthoathecata and Leptothecata Family Stylasteridae (Hydroids) (Hydrocorals) -Benthic hyyydroids mostly colonial -Branchinggp pattern reg ular or irreg ular. -Colonial benthic hydroids with a and sessile. -On hard or soft bottoms, attached to thick calcareous exoskeleton. -Colonies erect, main stem simple objects (cables, gear,..). -Colonies generally erect, branched, or branched, bearing side branches. usually flabellate.

Invertebrate Identification Preliminary Guide for Guide corals from and spongesVME of in the the SEAFO SEAFO Area CA (Ramos(Ramos etet al.al.,, 20092009)) Phylum Cnidaria –– Class Anthozoa –– SubclassSubclass Octocorallia SHEET SHEET 4 4 Order Alcyonacea Order Pennatulacea Other deep pennatulids from (Soft corals) (Sea pens) African Atlantic

-Colonies forming encrusting sheets or erect fleshy masses -Colony form rather variable: lobate, -PlPolyps emb bdddiedded in a more or less with short branches or ridges, extensive common matter, with massive, carrot-like, mushroom sclerites. shaped, etc. -Without supporting internal axis.

Invertebrate Identification Preliminary Guide for Guidecorals fromand spongesVME of in the the SEAFO SEAFO Area CA (Ramos(Ramos et al., 2009)2009) Phylum Cnidaria - Class Anthozoa - Subclass Octocorallia – Order Gorgonacea SHEET SHEET 55

Order Gorgonacea Family IsidiidaeIsididae Family ChrysogorgidaeChrysogorgiidae (sea fans) (Bamboo corals) (Golden corals) -Arborescent, fan-shaped, bushy or -Colonies profusely branched, bushy, -Internal axis iridescent or metallic. unbranched (whip-like) colonies. fan-shaped or whip-like. -Generally branched, with a quite -Attached usually to a solid substrata by a -Segmented axis with a succession of regular pattern: dichotomous with basal plate. calcareous internodes separated by branches in zig-zag, spiral or unilateral; -Most of species with a solid internal axis horny nodes. or whip-like . covered by a thin layer of coenenchyme -Base root-like, non fixed to hard -Base mostly root-like. with polyps. substrata.

Identification Invertebrate Guide Preliminary for corals Guide and sponges from VME in theof the SEAFO SEAFO CA Area (Ramos (Ramos et et al. al., ,2009) 2009) Phylum CnidariaCnidaria –– ClassClass AnthozoaAnthozoa –– SubclassSubclass HexacoralliaHexacorallia SHEETSHEET 66

Order Antipatharia (Black corals) -Colonies normally slender and ramified: -A black horny axial skeleton with spines pinnate, bushy , bottle -shaped or even -Polyps small and mostly with 6 unbranched (whip-like). tentacles.

Identification Invertebrate Guide Preliminary for corals Guide and sponges from VME in theof the SEAFO SEAFO CA Area (Ramos (Ramos et et al. al., ,2009) 2009) Phylum CnidariaCnidaria –– ClassClass AnthozoaAnthozoa –– SubclassSubclass HexacoralliaHexacorallia SHEETSHEET 77

Order Scleractinia (Madreporarians, stony corals) -Solitary or colonial with an calcareous -The calices (concavities of the corallum exoskeleton (corallum) . which contains the polyp s)regularly) regularly subdivided by calcareous radial septa.

Death Coral Death Coral Dead coral Dead coral