A new genus of soft coral (Cnidaria, Octocorallia) from the Republic of Congo (Pointe-Noire Region)

Type Article
Date 2014-12-10
Language English
Author(s) Van Ofwegen Leen P.1, Aurelle Didier2, Sartoretto StephaneORCID3
Affiliation(s) 1 : Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, Netherlands
2 : Aix Marseille Université, Marseille, France
3 : IFREMER, Cedex, France
Source Zookeys (1313-2989) (Pensoft Publishers), 2014-12-10 , N. 462 , P. 1-10
DOI 10.3897/zookeys.462.8533
WOS© Times Cited 2
Keyword(s) Coelenterata, Cnidaria, Octocorallia, Alcyonacea, Alcyoniidea, Alcyonium, Complexum, Republic of Congo, new genus, new species
Abstract A new genus of soft coral from the Republic of Congo is described, Complexum gen. n. Nine West African octocoral species previously described in the genus Alcyonium by Tixier-Durivault (1955) are referred to this new genus, and a new species is described and figured, C. pusillum sp. n. The new species is characterized by having encrusting growth form and abundant spiny clubs in the surface of the polyparium. It colonizes shallow calcareous rocky banks (5 to 20 m depth) existing in coastal water of the region of Pointe-Noire. Based on molecular phylogeny this new genus is well separated from Alcyonium species.
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