Primnoidae (Octocorallia: Calcaxonia) from the Emperor Seamounts, with Notes on Callogorgia elegans (Gray, 1870) Stephen D. Cairns, Robert P. Stone, Hye-Won Moon, Jong Hee Lee Pacific Science, Volume 72, Number 1, January 2018, pp. 125-142 (Article) Published by University of Hawai'i Press For additional information about this article https://muse.jhu.edu/article/683173 [ This content has been declared free to read by the pubisher during the COVID-19 pandemic. ] Primnoidae (Octocorallia: Calcaxonia) from the Emperor Seamounts, with Notes on Callogorgia elegans (Gray, 1870)1 Stephen D. Cairns,2,6 Robert P. Stone,3 Hye-Won Moon,4 and Jong Hee Lee 5 Abstract: Six primnoid species are reported from depths of 280 – 480 m from the southern Emperor Seamounts, including two new species (Callogorgia imperialis and Thouarella taylorae). Only the new species are fully described and illustrated. Also, Callogorgia elegans, which has a confused taxonomic history, is discussed and illustrated. Not unexpectedly, the Emperor Seamount primnoids have a strong affinity with the fauna of the Hawaiian Islands, an affinity that is expected to increase as more collecting is done in the region. The United Nations General Assembly nations around the world are developing pro- approved Resolution 61/105 in December tocol and policy on fishing encounters with 2006 ( United Nations General Assembly 2007) the sensitive biota (Durán Muñoz et al. 2012). that calls on States to directly, or through Here we report on collections made on fish- Regional Fisheries Management Organiza- ing vessels in the Emperor Seamounts, North tions, apply a precautionary ecosystem ap- Pacific Ocean, as part of a joint project be- proach to sustainably manage fish stocks and tween the United States and the Republic of protect vulnerable marine ecosystems ( VMEs) Korea. in deep-sea fisheries on the high seas (FAO The Emperor Seamounts are a series of 2009). Some deep-sea corals are indicator very old and heavily eroded guyots (flat- species of VMEs, and accordingly fishing topped) and seamounts stretching approxi- mately 6,700 km from the Aleutian Trench to the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (Figure 1 This research was supported by a joint project 1). Several nations, including the Republic of agreement between the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Korea and Japan, conduct fishery operations Service (Alaska Fisheries Science Center) and the Repub- lic of Korea National Institute of Fisheries Science (proj- for two important fish species, North Pacific ect no. R2017027). The findings and conclusions in this armorhead (Pseudopentaceros wheeleri ) and article are those of the authors and do not necessarily splendid alfonsino (Beryx splendens), with gear represent the views of the National Marine Fisheries Ser- that occasionally contacts the seafloor. vice, NOAA. Manuscript accepted 6 June 2017. 2 Department of Invertebrate Zoology, National Mu- seum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, P.O. materials and methods Box 37012, Washington, D.C. 20013-7012. 3 NOAA, National Marine Fisheries Service, Alaska Coral specimens were collected during fish- Fisheries Science Center, Juneau, Alaska 99801. ing operations aboard the FV Oryong501 in 4 Department of Marine Bio-Resources, National Marine Biodiversity Institute of Korea, Seocheon 33662, 2014 and the FV Oyang96 in 2014, 2015, and Republic of Korea. 2016 (see Table 1). Specimens were frozen 5 National Institute of Fisheries Science, Busan, Re- (−20°C) onboard the fishing vessels and trans- public of Korea. 6 ferred to the National Institute of Fisheries Corresponding author (e-mail: [email protected]). Science (Busan, Republic of Korea) where they were preliminarily identified to family. Pacific Science (2018), vol. 72, no. 1:125 – 142 Whole specimens or samples of primnoid doi:10.2984/72.1.8 octocorals were shipped to the U.S. National This article was created by a U.S. government employee Museum of Natural History ( NMNH ), and is in the public domain. Public domain information Smithsonian Institution ( Washington D.C.), may be freely distributed and copied, but it is requested that in any subsequent use the Smithsonian Institution where they were ultimately identified to spe- and the journal, Pacific Science, be given appropriate cies. Specimens are deposited primarily at the acknowledgment. National Marine Biodiversity Institute of 125 126 PACIFIC SCIENCE · January 2018 Figure 1. Map of the Emperor Seamounts in the North Pacific Ocean showing the location of six species of primnoid corals collected during this study. Taxa are as follows: Callogorgia imperialis, n. sp. (green circles), Callogorgia formosa (gray circles), Faniella tuberculata ( black circles), Candidella helminthophora ( brown circles), Narella vermifera (orange circle), and Thouarella taylorae, n. sp. (white circles). Korea, and voucher fragments and scanning BM British Museum ( Natural His- electron microscopy (SEM) stubs of most tory), now the Natural History species are also deposited at the NMNH. Museum, London The morphological terminology used here L:W Length to width ratio of a sclerite follows that of Bayer et al. (1983). The scan- MZW Museum of Natural History, ning electron photomicrographs were taken Wrocław University, Poland by S.D.C. using a scanning electron micro- MABIK National Marine Biodiversity In- scope (Zeiss EVO MA15). Authorship of the stitute of Korea, Seocheon 33662, two new species is attributed to the first au- Republic of Korea thor (Cairns) alone. NMNH National Museum of Natural His- Abbreviations used in the text include the tory, Smithsonian following: SEM Scanning electron microscopy Primnoidae from the Emperor Seamounts · Cairns et al. 127 USNM United States National Museum 152-5, colony, mabik CN00076508, branch (now the NMNH, but acronym fragment, usnm 1422521; Oyang 2014-96- used for cataloging purposes) 153-1, colony, mabik CN00076513, branch ZMA Zo¨ologische Museum, Amster- fragment, usnm 1422510; Oyang 2014-96- dam 153-5, colony, mabik CN00076514, branch fragment, usnm 1422518; Oyang 2014-96- results 158-2, colony, mabik CN00079269, branch fragment, usnm 1422513; Oyang 2014-96- systematic treatment 181-5, colony, mabik CN00076544, branch Subclass Octocorallia fragment, usnm 14225217; Oyang 2015-96-4- Order Alcyonacea 1, colony, mabik CN00076567, branch frag- Suborder Calcaxonia ment, usnm 1422520; Oyang 2016-96-37-1, Family Primnoidae Milne Edwards, 1857 colony, mabik CN00076578, fragments, usnm Genus Callogorgia Gray, 1858 1422519; Oryong 2014-501-13-1, branch frag- ment, mabik CN00076125, fragments, usnm Callogorgia Gray, 1858:286. — Bayer, 1982:119 – 1422522; Oryong 2014-501-131-3, branch 123 ( key to Indo-Pacific species). — Cairns fragments, mabik CN00076288, fragments, and Bayer, 2009:40, fig. 12A – D (more usnm 1422523. complete synonymy). — Cairns, 2016:58. type locality: Oyang 2015-96-138-1: 35.6217° N, 171.3167° E ( Kökö Guyot, Em- type species: Gorgonia verticillata Pallas, peror Seamounts), 347 m. 1766, by monotypy. distribution: Emperor Seamounts diagnosis: Colonies uniplanar, pinnately ( Kökö Guyot), 284 – 380 m. Elsewhere: Saga- or dichotomously branched. Polyps cylindri- mi Bay, Japan (depth unknown). cal to clavate, arranged in whorls of up to 12, description: Colonies are uniplanar and all polyps facing upward. Polyps covered with taller than wide, the largest specimen (the ho- eight longitudinal rows of body wall scales, lotype, Figure 2A) measuring 42 cm in height the number of scales per row decreasing from and 22 cm in width, having a broken basal ab- to adaxial polyp side. Body wall scales branch diameter of 7.2 mm. Branching is ir- granular, smooth, pitted, or covered with tall regularly dichotomous (not pinnate) and the ridges. Inner side of opercular scales covered branches are rather stiff, the axis being longi- with serrated multiple keels. tudinally ridged. The polyps are arranged in remarks: Including the new species de- whorls of 6 or 7 (Figure 3B) on distal branches scribed herein there are 27 valid species in the (8 or 9 on proximal stems); 5 to 6 whorls oc- genus. A key to the Indo-PacificCallogorgia is cur per cm branch length; the whorl diameter in preparation. ranges from 2.8 to 3.5 mm. The polyps are distribution: Indo-Pacific, North At- 1.5 – 1.9 mm in length, curved, and slightly lantic, 37 – 2,472 m. clavate (Figures 3A, C ). The color of the col- ony is light orange. Callogorgia imperialis Cairns, n. sp. There are eight longitudinal rows of body Figures 2A, 3A – D, 4A – I wall scales, decreasing in number from the ab- to adaxial polyp side; the body wall scler- Caligorgia elegans: Kinoshita, 1908:40 – 42, ite formula is 12 – 16: 6 – 10: 2 – 5: 2 – 3. Most pl. 3, figs. 17 – 18; pl. 6, fig. 48. body wall scales are wider than taller, slightly curved to accommodate the curvature of the material examined (types): Holotype: polyp, and rather thick (e.g., about 0.08 mm). Oyang 2015-96-138-1, mabik CN00076574, The abaxial body wall scales (Figure 4A) branch fragments, SEM stubs 2359 – 2363, range from 0.33 to 0.36 mm in width, the usnm 1422524. Paratypes: Oyang 2014-96- outer laterals (Figure 4B) 0.37 – 0.42 mm, and 13-2, colony, mabik CN00076352, branch the inner laterals (Figure 4C ) 0.14 – 0.16 mm. fragments usnm 1422525; Oyang 2014-96- The abaxial and outer laterals often have a 128 PACIFIC SCIENCE · January 2018 Figure 2. Colony images of: A, Callogorgia imperialis, holotype; B, Callogorgia formosa, Oryong 2014-501-33-1; C, Fanel- lia tuberculata, Oyang 2014-96-37-6; D, Candidella helminthophora, Oryong 2014-501-110-6; E, Narella vermifera, Oyang 2016-96-20-1; F, Thouarella taylorae, holotype. serrate distal edge. The adaxial body wall type scales (Figures 3C, 4E ), or this region scales (Figure 4D) are squarish, ranging from may be covered with polygonal scales similar 0.19 to 0.21 mm on a side, and thinner, al- to those of the coenenchyme. The outer face though even smaller adaxials occur lower on of the body wall scales is fairly smooth, the polyp.