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Figure 7 in Systematics of the candelabrum gorgonian corals (Eunicea Lamouroux; Plexauridae; Octocorallia; Cnidaria)

Figure 7. Scanning electron microscope stereopairs of Eunicera clavigera sclerites ('slender' morphotype USNM 100645). A, sclerite, spindle, from the middle layer (scale bar = 0.2 mm); B, detail from A, wart ornamentation (scale bar = 0.02 mm); C, axial layer sclerites (scale bar = 0.02 mm); D, warts from spindles of the middle layer (scale bar = 0.01 mm); E, axial layer sclerites (scale bar = 0.01 mm); F, rod sclerites from the anthocodial crown/armature of the polyps (scale bar = 0.02 mm); G–H, club sclerites (foliate) from the surface layer (scale bar = 0.01 mm).

Figure 9 in Systematics of the candelabrum gorgonian corals (Eunicea Lamouroux; Plexauridae; Octocorallia; Cnidaria)

Figure 9. Photographs of Eunicea tayrona sp. nov. holotype (USNM 100646). A, underwater views of the colony alive, Riding Rock Reef, Leeward terrace, 12 m, San Salvador, Bahamas, 15 August 1999; B, dry specimen (calliper open at 2 cm) and detail; C, photo of the Eunicea fusca holotype and its club-like sclerites, museum of Turin (photos by and courtesy of Carlo Cerrano, University of Genoa).

Figure 11 in Systematics of the candelabrum gorgonian corals (Eunicea Lamouroux; Plexauridae; Octocorallia; Cnidaria)

Figure 11. Scanning electron micrograph stereopairs from sclerites of Eunicea tayrona sp. nov. holotype (USNM 100646). A, sclerites (ornamented spindles) from the middle layer (scale bar = 0.1 mm); B, detail of wart ornamentation from A (scale bar = 0.02 mm); C, axial layer sclerite (scale bar = 0.01 mm); D, club sclerite from the surface layer (scale bar = 0.01 mm).

Figure 5 in Systematics of the candelabrum gorgonian corals (Eunicea Lamouroux; Plexauridae; Octocorallia; Cnidaria)

Figure 5. Scanning electron microscope images from sclerites of Eunicea clavigera 'slender' or typical morphotype (USNM 100645). A, sclerite (ornamented spindle) from the middle layer (scale bar = 0.1 mm) with detail of wart ornamentation (scale bars = approximately 0.5 and 0.05 mm, respectively); B, club sclerites (foliate) from the surface layer (scale bars = approximately 0.005 mm); C, rod sclerites from the anthocodial crown/armature of the polyps (scale bars = approximately 0.015 mm); D, rod sclerites from the anthocodial crown/armature of the polyps (scale bars = approximately 0.005 mm).

Figure 3 in Systematics of the candelabrum gorgonian corals (Eunicea Lamouroux; Plexauridae; Octocorallia; Cnidaria)

Figure 3. Cladograms of the most parsimonious phylogenetic hypotheses of Eunicea spp. obtained with maximum parsimony (A–B) (length = 24; consistency index = 0.708; retention index = 0.865). Above node numbers correspond to bootstrapping support values obtained in PAUP* (number of replicates = 1000; *corresponds to the only node with decay index> 1, obtained also in PAUP* increasing progressively the upper tree length bound and comparing strict concensus). Vertical lines refer to the monophyletic groups in common for the two trees.

Figure 4 in Systematics of the candelabrum gorgonian corals (Eunicea Lamouroux; Plexauridae; Octocorallia; Cnidaria)

Figure 4. Photographs of Eunicea clavigera. A–B, 'thick' morphotype (USNM 100644), A, underwater view of the colony alive, Riding Rock Reef, Leeward terrace, 17 m, San Salvador, Bahamas, 15 August 1999 (diver L. Kauffman); B, dry specimen (calliper open at 2 cm). C–D, 'slender' morphotype specimen (USNM 100645). C, dry specimen (calliper open at 2 cm); D, underwater views of the colony alive, Riding Rock Reef, Leeward terrace, 12 m, San Salvador, Bahamas, 15 August 1999. Right photos show the same branch with different levels of polyp retraction.

Figure 1 in Systematics of the candelabrum gorgonian corals (Eunicea Lamouroux; Plexauridae; Octocorallia; Cnidaria)

Figure 1. Photographs of Caribbean candelabrum corals in situ. A, Eunicea pinta Bayer & Deichmann Roncador Bank Colombia, 25 m; B, Eunicea palmeri Bayer, Roncador Bank, Colombia, 12 m; C, Eunicea succinea (Pallas) Bocas del Toro, Panama, 12 m; D, Eunicea laxispica (Lamarck), fore-reef terrace, 20 m, Abaco, Bahamas (2000); E, Eunicea mammosa Lamouroux, Roncador Bank, Colombia, 12 m; F, Eunicea tourneforti Milne Edwards & Haime, Carrie Bow Cay, Belize, 8 m; G, Eunicea asperula Milne-Edwards & Haime, outer slope edge, Cat island, Bahamas (2001); H, Eunicea laciniata Duchassaing & Michelotti, shallow fore-reef, 10 m, Carrie Bow Cay, Belize (2001); I, Eunicea fusca Duchassaing & Michelotti, White Horse Reef, fore-reef, 20 m, Exuma Cays, Bahamas (2000).

opencc-zeroJan 2023View details →

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Not out of the Mediterranean: Atlantic populations of the gorgonian Paramuricea clavata are a separate sister species under further lineage diversification

The accurate delimitation of species boundaries in non-bilaterian marine taxa is notoriously difficult, with consequences for many studies in ecology and evolution. Anthozoans are a diverse group of key structural organisms worldwide, but the lack of reliable morphological characters and informative genetic markers hampers our ability to understand species diversification. We investigated population differentiation and species limits in Atlantic (Iberian Peninsula) and Mediterranean lineages of the octocoral genus Paramuricea previously identified as P. clavata. We used a diverse set of molecular markers (microsatellites, RNA-seq derived single-copy orthologues [SCO] and mt-mutS [mitochondria]) at 49 locations. Clear segregation of Atlantic and Mediterranean lineages was found with all markers. Species-tree estimations based on SCO strongly supported these two clades as distinct, recently diverged sister species with incomplete lineage sorting, P. cf. grayi and P. clavata, respectively. Furthermore, a second putative (or ongoing) speciation event was detected in the Atlantic between two P. cf. grayi colour morphotypes (yellow and purple) using SCO and supported by microsatellites. While segregating P. cf. grayi lineages showed considerable geographic structure, dominating circalittoral communities in southern (yellow) and western (purple) Portugal, their occurrence in sympatry at some localities suggests a degree of reproductive isolation. Overall, our results show that previous molecular and morphological studies have underestimated species diversity in Paramuricea occurring in the Iberian Peninsula, which has important implications for conservation planning. Finally, our findings validate the usefulness of phylotranscriptomics for resolving evolutionary relationships in octocorals.

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Dataset and images illustrating the 2022 gorgonian mass mortality event in the Calanques National Park

gorgonian_population_2012.JPG:  A healthy gorgonian population in the Calanques National Park in 2012 gorgonian_population_2022.JPG: The same gorgonian population after the 2022 mass mortality event. The colonies show denuded axis Marseille_Monitoring_Mortality_2022.xlsx: Raw data acquired during the survey of the health of red gorgonian and red coral populations in the Calanques National Park during late summer and autumn 2022

opencc-by-4.0Aug 2023View details →

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Not out of the Mediterranean: Atlantic populations of the gorgonian Paramuricea clavata are a separate sister species under further lineage diversification

Open the record for dataset details and reuse information.

publicJan 2023View details →

opennotspecifiedFeb 2020View details →

FIGURE 7 in Morphology and phylogenetic analysis of two new species of deep-sea golden gorgonians (Cnidaria: Octocorallia: Chrysogorgiidae) from seamounts in the Western Pacific Ocean

FIGURE 7. Maximum likelihood (ML) tree inferred from the mtMutS sequences of Iridogorgia and related species. Newly sequenced species are in bold. Support ≤ 50% is shown as '--'.

opennotspecifiedFeb 2020View details →

FIGURE 3 in Morphology and phylogenetic analysis of two new species of deep-sea golden gorgonians (Cnidaria: Octocorallia: Chrysogorgiidae) from seamounts in the Western Pacific Ocean

FIGURE 3. Sclerites of Iridogorgia densispicula n. sp. A. Rods in tentacles. B. Spindles in coenenchyme. C. Scales in bodies and at bases. Scale = 200 μm (all in the same scale).

opencc-zeroDec 2013View details →

Data from: Cryptic diversity hides host and habitat specialization In a gorgonian-algal symbiosis

Shallow water anthozoans, the major builders of modern coral reefs, enhance their metabolic and calcification rates with algal symbionts. Controversy exists over whether these anthozoan-algae associations are flexible over the lifetimes of individual hosts, promoting acclimative plasticity, or are closely linked, such that hosts and symbionts coevolve across generations. Given the diversity of algal symbionts and the morphological plasticity of many host species, cryptic variation within either partner could potentially confound studies of anthozoan-algal associations. Here, we used ribosomal, organelle, and nuclear sequences, along with microsatellite variation, to study the relationship between lineages of a common Caribbean gorgonian and its algal symbionts. The gorgonian Eunicea flexuosa is a broadcast spawner, composed of two recently diverged, genetically distinct lineages largely segregated by depth. We sampled colonies of the two lineages across depth gradients at three Caribbean locations. We find that each host lineage is associated with a unique Symbiodinium B1/184 phylotype. This relationship between host and symbiont is maintained when host colonies are reciprocally transplanted, although cases of within phylotype switching were also observed. Even when the phylotypes of both partners are present at intermediate depths, the specificity between host and symbiont lineages remained absolute. Unrecognized cryptic diversity may mask host-symbiont specificity and change the inference of evolutionary processes in mutualistic associations. Symbiotic specificity thus likely contributes to the ecological divergence of the two partners, generating species diversity within coral reefs.

opencc-zeroDec 2010View details →

Data from: From global to local genetic structuring in the red gorgonian Paramuricea clavata: the interplay between oceanographic conditions and limited larval dispersal

Defining the scale of connectivity among marine populations and identifying the barriers to gene flow are tasks of fundamental importance for understanding the genetic structure of populations and for the design of marine reserves. Here we investigated the population genetic structure at three spatial scales of the red gorgonian Paramuricea clavata (Cnidaria, Octocorallia) a key species dwelling in the coralligenous assemblages of the Mediterranean Sea. Colonies of P. clavata were collected from 39 locations across the Mediterranean Sea from Morocco to Turkey and analysed using microsatellite loci. Within three regions (Medes, Marseille and North Corsica) sampling was obtained from multiple locations and at different depths. Three different approaches (measures of genetic differentiation, Bayesian clustering and spatially explicit maximum-difference algorithm) were used to determine the pattern of genetic structure. We identified genetic breaks in the spatial distribution of genetic diversity which were concordant with oceanographic conditions in the Mediterranean Sea. We revealed a high level of genetic differentiation among populations and a pattern of isolation by distance across the studied area and within the three regions, underlining short effective larval dispersal in this species. We observed genetic differentiation among populations in the same locality dwelling at different depths which may be explained by local oceanographic conditions and which may allow a process of local adaptation of the populations to their environment. We discuss the implications of our results for the conservation of the species which is exposed to various threats.

opencc-zeroDec 2021View details →

Data from: Population collapse of habitat-forming species in the Mediterranean: a long-term study of gorgonian populations affected by recurrent marine heatwaves

Understanding the resilience of temperate reefs to climate change requires exploring the recovery capacity of their habitat-forming species from recurrent marine heatwaves (MHWs). Here, we show that, in a Mediterranean highly enforced Marine Protected Area established more than 40 years ago, habitat-forming octocoral populations that were firstly affected by a severe MHW in 2003 have not recovered after 15 years. Contrarily, they have followed collapse trajectories that have brought them to the brink of local ecological extinction. Since 2003, impacted populations of the red gorgonian Paramuricea clavata (Risso, 1826) and the red coral Corallium rubrum (Linnaeus, 1758) have followed different trends in terms of size structure, but a similar progressive reduction in density and biomass. Concurrently, recurrent MHWs were observed in the area during the 2003-2018 study period, which may have hindered populations recovery. The studied octocorals play a unique habitat-forming role in the coralligenous assemblages (i.e., reefs endemic to the Mediterranean Sea home to approximately 10% of its species). Therefore, our results underpin the great risk that recurrent MHWs pose for the long-term integrity and functioning of these emblematic temperate reefs.

opencc-zeroMay 2022View details →

Location and condition of gorgonian forests in Italian coastal waters

Gorgonian forests are among the most complex of subtidal habitats in the Mediterranean Sea, supporting high biodiversity and providing diverse ecosystem services. Despite their iconic status, the geographical distribution and condition of gorgonian species is poorly known. Using multiple online data types our primary aims were to compile, map and analyse observations of gorgonian forests in Italian coastal waters to assess the biological complexity of gorgonian forests; evaluate impacts and vulnerable species, and identify areas of special interest inside and outside of existing MPAs to help prioritise conservation strategies and actions. Location: Italy. Mediterranean Sea. Methods: Using a multi-source data integration approach we collected and integrated data from scientific publications, online databases, citizen science projects, SCUBA diver questionnaires and social media into a unified spatial framework providing up-to-date information on the geographical distribution, abundance, and health of major habitat-forming gorgonian species in Italian coastal waters. Results: Higher abundance and complexity of gorgonian species occurred outside MPAs. Areas of Special Interest (n=167) were identified (80 inside and 87 outside MPAs). Three locations supported all seven focal species: Capo Caccia MPA, Portofino MPA and Catania (unprotected). The purple gorgonian (Paramuricea clavata), the most abundant and geographically widespread species with highest forest complexity, also experienced the highest impact, possibly linked to thermal stress events, disease and fishing. Main conclusions: The multi-source approach was a rapid and cost-effective tool to gather, analyse and map disparate data on gorgonian forests spanning 27 years of underwater observations both inside and outside of marine protected areas (MPAs). The unique perspective given by this approach demonstrates the suboptimal protection of several habitat-forming gorgonian species. The approach has great potential for wider application and offers a more inclusive participatory model for crowdsourcing and repurposing underutilised observations while also increasing ocean literacy.

opencc-zeroMay 2022View details →

Data from: Identifying conservation priorities for gorgonian forests in Italian coastal waters with multiple methods including citizen science and social media content analysis

<div> <div> <div> <div> Gorgonian forests are among the most complex of subtidal habitats in the Mediterranean Sea, supporting high biodiversity and providing diverse ecosystem services. Despite their iconic status, the geographical distribution and condition of gorgonian species is poorly known. Using multiple online data sources, our primary aims were to compile, map and analyse observations of gorgonian forests in Italian coastal waters to assess the biological complexity of gorgonian forests; evaluate impacts and vulnerable species, and identify areas of special interest inside and outside of existing MPAs to help prioritise conservation strategies and actions. </div> </div> </div> </div>

opennotspecifiedNov 2018View details →

FIGURE 4 in Another unusual new gorgonian (Anthozoa: Octocorallia: Plexauridae) from the Aleutian Islands of Alaska

FIGURE 4. SEM images of major sclerites. A, long, pointed tuberculate spindles of tentacles. B, Sclerites of axial sheath. C, Oval capstans of the middle tissue layer (containing gastric cavities); C1 and C2 longer than average. D, Small, oval capstans of the surface layer. Scale bar for A-D = 100 µm.

opennotspecifiedNov 2018View details →

FIGURE 3 in Another unusual new gorgonian (Anthozoa: Octocorallia: Plexauridae) from the Aleutian Islands of Alaska

FIGURE 3. Holotype of A. splendicitrina n. sp. A, Whole colony, fully dried. Note curled nature of branches. B, Close-up of a large branch tip, showing the arrangement of polyps at the terminal branch end and clavate tip with large polyps and prominent tentacles.