dcsimg

Comprehensive Description

provided by Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology
Anomocora carinata

DESCRIPTION.—Corallum quasicolonial, larger corallites intratentacularly budding one or more smaller corallites at right angle to parent corallum, the daughter corallites breaking free of the parent before a third generation bud appears. Corallum ceratoid when young, becoming cylindrical with growth. Holotype consists of a corallite 5.8 × 4.7 mm in calicular diameter and 18.5 mm long, sporting six buds: one 8.5 mm long, the other five only represented by scars, the buds either previously detached or aborted early in ontogeny. Costae of primary septa carinate, sometimes ridged almost to base, and up to 1 mm tall near calicular edge. Secondary costae flat and slightly broader than primary costae. All costae covered by a fine granulation, the pointed granules about 0.10 mm in diameter. Theca pale brown. Irregularly shaped lateral thecal extensions, like those described for Lophelia from the Galápagos, also present on some specimens, linking adjacent corallites (buds) on one corallum or fusing a corallite to a serpulid worm tube.

Septal symmetry irregular, but 28 septa per corallite is most common: arranged 11 : 11 : 6 in the holotype, 9 : 9 : 10 in a paratype. Primary septa slightly exsert and have straight inner edges extending about 2/3 distance to center of fossa. Secondary septa not exsert and much narrower, attaining only 1/5 to ¼ distance to center of fossa. Tertiary septa rudimentary. Septal granules quite tall and slender, up to 0.20 mm tall and 0.05 mm in diameter. Thin tabular endothecal dissepiments common, especially in longer cylindrical coralla, spaced about every 1.0–1.5 mm, resulting in a corallum of low density. Fossa variable in depth depending on recency of dissepiment formation. Invariably a complete dissepiment or one in the process of formation can be seen from a calicular view. A columella was not noted in any specimen.
license
cc-by-nc-sa-3.0
bibliographic citation
Cairns, Stephen D. 1991. "A revision of the Ahermatypic Scleractinia of the Galapagos and Cocos Islands." Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology. 1-32. https://doi.org/10.5479/si.00810282.504

Biology

provided by World Register of Marine Species
azooxanthellate

Reference

van der Land, J. (ed). (2008). UNESCO-IOC Register of Marine Organisms (URMO).

license
cc-by-4.0
copyright
WoRMS Editorial Board
contributor
Jacob van der Land [email]

Depth range

provided by World Register of Marine Species
614-785 m
license
cc-by-4.0
copyright
WoRMS Editorial Board
contributor
Stephen Cairns [email]