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Leptogorgia thomassini (Tixier-Durivault, 1972) new comb. Lophogorgia thomassini Tixier-Durivault, 1972: 47, fig. 19 (Madagascar). Psudopterogorgia thomassini (new comb.) Williams & Vennam 2001: 88. Opinion: There is no evidence that this species occurs in the region. Justification: These Indian records seem to be either invalid or unconfirmable: Fernando 2011: 104–105, pl. 63, fig. 2–2c (Uvari); Fernando et al. 2017: 209, pl. 96, fig. 1–1c (Uvari). Literature analysis: Tixier-Durivault’s description of this taxon as Lophogorgia thomassini is very inadequate. As is often the case with that author’s works the sclerite drawings are extremely poor and do not match the text, and consequently the species is unrecognisable. William & Vennam (2001) interpreted some of the sclerite drawings as indistinct scaphoids, presumably H and I in figure 19, and transferred the species to the genus Pseudopterogorgia. Although these sclerites are not actually curved they are asymmetrical and have larger warts on one side, but it is the side with the greatest, and not the lessor, convexity. It is more likely the original diagnosis was correct, but the name should be Leptogorgia thomassini as Lophogorgia is a synonym of Leptogorgia: there are a number of species of this genus off the east coast of Africa. The accounts of the Indian material by Fernando (2011) and Fernando et al. (2017) are identical and the specimen described as Psudopterogorgia thomassini actually appears to be a species of Leptogorgia as the colony form is not pinnate and there does not appear to be any scaphoids among the figured sclerites. But, unlike the holotype of the species, their colony does not have branches with a medial groove, the polyps are all around and not biserial, and the spindles have 2–9 whorls of warts and not 2–4. Their specimen appears to be extremely similar to, and perhaps the same as, their Pseudopterogorgia vedalaiensi specimen described in the same two papers., Published as part of Ramvilas, Ghosh, Alderslade, Philip & Ranjeet, Kutty, 2023, The taxonomy of Indian gorgonians: an assessment of the descriptive records of gorgonians (Anthozoa: Octocorallia: Alcyonacea) recorded as occurring in the territorial waters of India, along with neighbouring regions and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and the highlighting of perceived unethical practice, pp. 1-124 in Zootaxa 5236 (1) on page 76, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5236.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/7639327, {"references":["Tixier-Durivault, A. (1972) Nouvel rapport d'octocoralliaires de Madagascar et des iles avoisinantes. Tethys Supplement, 3, 11 - 68.","Williams, G. C. & Vennam, J. S. (2001) A revision of the Indo-West Pacific taxa of the gorgonian genus Pseudopterogorgia (Octocorallia: Gorgoniidae), with the description of a new species from western India. Bulletin of the Biological Society of Washington, 10, 71 - 95.","Fernando, S. A. (2011) Monograph on Gorgonids (Sea fans) of India. Centre of Advanced Study in Marine Biology, Faculty of Marine Sciences, Parangipettai, 145 pp.","Fernando, S. A, Venkataraman, K. & Raghunathan, C. (2017) Gorgonians of Indian sea. Director, Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata, 330 pp. Available from: https: // www. nhbs. com / (accessed 21 March 2022)"]}

The genus Critomolgus Humes and Stock, 1983 represents a group of 34 species of copepods associated with marine invertebrates. Most of these species have been collected in associations with species of the phyla Cnidaria and Echinodermata in several localities in the Indian, Pacific and Atlantic Oceans with three species reported in the Mediterranean Sea. This is the first occasion in which a species belonging to the genus Critomolgus and the family Rhynchomolgidae Humes and Stock, 1972 is recorded for the Gulf of Mexico. Here, we describe a new species of marine copepod, Critomolgus walteri Varela, Price, Middlebrooks et Ambrosio, associated with the octocorals Leptogorgia virgulata (Lamarck, 1815) and L. hebes Verrill, 1869 in 3.3 meters of water in Tampa Bay, Florida. This species possesses characters that unite it with other members of the genus; however, it differs from all other species due to the body length and unique leg 5 and maxilla l characters. This new species provides evidence that much diversity remains to be discovered in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico and future sampling efforts should target this region.

The use of genetics in recent years has brought to light the need to reevaluate the classification of many gorgonian octocorals. This study focuses on two Leptogorgia species—Leptogorgia virgulata and Leptogorgia hebes—from the northwestern Gulf of Mexico (GOM). We target complete mitochondrial genomes and mtMutS sequences, and integrate this data with previous genetic research of gorgonian corals to resolve phylogenetic relationships and estimate divergence times. This study contributes the first complete mitochondrial genomes for L. ptogorgia virgulata and L. hebes. Our resulting phylogenies stress the need to redefine the taxonomy of the genus Leptogorgia in its entirety. The fossil‐calibrated divergence times for Eastern Pacific and Western Atlantic Leptogorgia species based on complete mitochondrial genomes shows that the use of multiple genes results in estimates of more recent speciation events than previous research based on single genes. These more recent divergence times are in agreement with geologic data pertaining to the formation of the Isthmus of Panama., This study contributes the first complete mitochondrial genomes for Leptogorgia virgulata and Leptogorgia hebes. The fossil‐calibrated divergence times based on complete mitochondrial genomes shows that the use of multiple genes, as opposed to a single gene, results in estimates of more recent speciation events than previously published for Eastern Pacific and Western Atlantic Leptogorgia species. These more recent divergence times are in agreement with geologic data pertaining to the formation of the Isthmus of Panama.

Background In octocorals (Cnidaria Octocorallia), the functional relationship between host health and its symbiotic consortium has yet to be determined. Here, we employed comparative metagenomics to uncover the distinct functional and phylogenetic features of the microbiomes of healthy Eunicella gazella, Eunicella verrucosa, and Leptogorgia sarmentosa tissues, in contrast with the microbiomes found in seawater and sediments. We further explored how the octocoral microbiome shifts to a pathobiome state in E. gazella. Results Multivariate analyses based on 16S rRNA genes, Clusters of Orthologous Groups of proteins (COGs), Protein families (Pfams), and secondary metabolite-biosynthetic gene clusters annotated from 20 Illumina-sequenced metagenomes each revealed separate clustering of the prokaryotic communities of healthy tissue samples of the three octocoral species from those of necrotic E. gazella tissue and surrounding environments. While the healthy octocoral microbiome was distinguished by so-far uncultivated Endozoicomonadaceae, Oceanospirillales, and Alteromonadales phylotypes in all host species, a pronounced increase of Flavobacteriaceae and Alphaproteobacteria, originating from seawater, was observed in necrotic E. gazella tissue. Increased abundances of eukaryotic-like proteins, exonucleases, restriction endonucleases, CRISPR/Cas proteins, and genes encoding for heat-shock proteins, inorganic ion transport, and iron storage distinguished the prokaryotic communities of healthy octocoral tissue regardless of the host species. An increase of arginase and nitric oxide reductase genes, observed in necrotic E. gazella tissues, suggests the existence of a mechanism for suppression of nitrite oxide production by which octocoral pathogens may overcome the host’s immune system. Conclusions This is the first study to employ primer-less, shotgun metagenome sequencing to unveil the taxonomic, functional, and secondary metabolism features of prokaryotic communities in octocorals. Our analyses reveal that the octocoral microbiome is distinct from those of the environmental surroundings, is host genus (but not species) specific, and undergoes large, complex structural changes in the transition to the dysbiotic state. Host-symbiont recognition, abiotic-stress response, micronutrient acquisition, and an antiviral defense arsenal comprising multiple restriction endonucleases, CRISPR/Cas systems, and phage lysogenization regulators are signatures of prokaryotic communities in octocorals. We argue that these features collectively contribute to the stabilization of symbiosis in the octocoral holobiont and constitute beneficial traits that can guide future studies on coral reef conservation and microbiome therapy.

Three new sea fan species of Leptogorgia were discovered during multiple scuba diving expeditions along the Gulf of California coast and islands. Leptogorgia iridis sp. nov. is distributed in the southern region of the gulf (Mexican Province), inhabiting tropical rocky reefs of the Islas Marias Archipelago (Nayarit) and Bahia Banderas (Jalisco). This species has small colonies (< 7 cm height) with at least five clearly distinct chromotypes. Leptogorgia martirensis sp. nov. was found exclusively on the rocky reefs of San Pedro Martir and San Esteban Islands located in the northern region of the Gulf of California (northern region of Cortez Province). Leptogorgia enrici sp. nov. is distributed from the south to the northern region of the Gulf of California (Cortez Province), inhabiting substrates of rocky reefs, sandy and pebbly sea floors. Comprehensive ecological diving expeditions to identify and classify octocorals in the Mexican Pacific (1995–2019) indicate that L. iridis sp. nov. and L. martirensis sp. nov. are likely to be micro-endemics and L. enrici sp. nov. is endemic to the Gulf of California, which defines their currently known biogeographic distribution ranges.

This article belongs to the Special Issue Marine Compounds and Inflammation II., Neurodegenerative diseases are age-related disorders caused by progressive neuronal death in different regions of the nervous system. Neuroinflammation, modulated by glial cells, is a crucial event during the neurodegenerative process; consequently, there is an urgency to find new therapeutic products with anti-glioinflammatory properties. Five new furanocembranolides (1-5), along with leptolide, were isolated from two different extracts of Leptogorgia sp., and compound 6 was obtained from chemical transformation of leptolide. Their structures were determined based on spectroscopic evidence. These seven furanocembranolides were screened in vitro by measuring their ability to modulate interleukin-1β (IL-1β) production by microglial BV2 cells after LPS (lipopolysaccharide) stimulation. Leptolide and compounds 3, 4 and 6 exhibited clear anti-inflammatory effects on microglial cells, while compound 2 presented a pro-inflammatory outcome. The in vitro results prompted us to assess anti-glioinflammatory effects of leptolide in vivo in a high-fat diet-induced obese mouse model. Interestingly, leptolide treatment ameliorated both microgliosis and astrogliosis in this animal model. Taken together, our results reveal a promising direct biological effect of furanocembranolides on microglial cells as bioactive anti-inflammatory molecules. Among them, leptolide provides us a feasible therapeutic approach to treat neuroinflammation concomitant with metabolic impairment., This research was funded by the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (grants BFU2015-68149-R to MDG, SAF2016-77871-C2-1R to ICC, and SAF2009-0839 and RTA 2015-00010-C03-02 to MC) and by Consejería de Educación Junta Castilla y León (grant VA086G18 to MDG) and was cofinanced by European Regional Development Fund. MCG was supported by a University of Valladolid Ph.D. fellowship (call#2016). ARDM acknowledges support from Agustin de Betancourt Programme (Cabildo de Tenerife, TFinnova Programme supported by MEDI and FDCAN funds). A.B.G. would like to thank Convenio Universidad de Magallanes, programa interno PR-F2-01-CRN18-19 (Chile), and CSIC, project 2009CL0031, for financial support.

Leptogorgins A–C (1–3), new humulane sesquiterpenoids, and leptogorgoid A (4), a new dihydroxyketosteroid, were isolated from the gorgonian Leptogorgia sp. collected from the South China Sea. The structures were established using MS and NMR data. The absolute configuration of 1 was confirmed by a modification of Mosher’s method. Configurations of double bonds followed from NMR data, including NOE correlations. This is the first report of humulane-type sesquiterpenoids from marine invertebrates. Sesquiterpenoids leptogorgins A (1) and B (2) exhibited a moderate cytotoxicity and some selectivity against human drug-resistant prostate cancer cells 22Rv1.

Octocorals are important zoobenthic organisms, contributing to structural heterogeneity and species diversity on hardgrounds. Their persistence amidst global coral reef degradation and ocean acidification, has prompted renewed interest in this taxon. Octocoral assemblages at 52 sites in continental Ecuador and Galapagos (23 species, 3742 colonies) were examined for composition, size distributions within and among populations, and connectivity patterns based on ocean current models. Species richness varied from 1 to 14 species per site, with the richest sites on the continent. Three assemblage clusters were recognised based on species richness and population size, one with a mix of sites from the mainland and Galapagos (defined by Muricea fruticosa and Leptogorgia alba, Muricea plantaginea and Pacifigorgia darwinii), the second from Santa Elena in southern Ecuador (defined by M. plantaginea and L. alba) and the third from the northernmost sites on the continent, in Esmeraldas (defined by Muricea fruticosa, Heterogorgia hickmani, Leptogorgia manabiensis). Based on biophysical larval flow models with 30, 60, 90-day Pelagic Larval Duration, good connectivity existed along the South American mainland, and from the continent to Galapagos. Connectivity between Galapagos, Cocos, Malpelo and the Colombian mainland may explain the wide distribution of L. alba. Muricea plantaginea had the densest populations with the largest colonies and therewith was an important habitat provider both in continental Ecuador and Galapagos. Continental Ecuador harbours the most speciose populations of octocorals so far recorded in the southern Eastern Tropical Pacific (ETP). Most species were uncommon and possibly vulnerable to local extirpation. The present study may serve as a base line to determine local and regional impacts of future disturbances on ETP octocorals.

Coral reefs have high biodiversity and are important as ecosystem engineers, providing microhabitats for a large number of organisms. This study examines the patterns of diversity, abundance and structure of gorgonian epifaunal communities found in Ecuador, a well-recognized marine biodiversity hot spot. Within this area, Leptogorgia manabiensis and L. obscura represent two of the most abundant and widely distributed gorgonian species, each with differing morphological characteristics. Epifaunal communities associated with these host species were analyzed during both the cold (June) and warm (November) seasons over two consecutive years. Both species were shown to be highly effective benthic biodiversity ecosystem engineers, hosting denser communities than other related organisms such as scleractinians, other gorgonians, algae, sponges, hydrocorals and bryozoans, as well as other geographic areas. A complex pattern of biodiversity was observed, with each gorgonian species hosting distinct communities: The fan-shaped L. manabiensis had a less diverse community dominated by echinoderms (mainly ophiuroids), while the bush-shaped L. obscura was dominated by crustaceans (mainly amphipods). Although the morphology of L. obscura allowed for greater living space for associated fauna, this species exhibited a less dense epifaunal community than of L. manabiensis. A seasonal fluctuation in abundance was also observed. Abundance tended to be greater in the cold season (June), likely due to the influence of the cold, nutrient-rich Humboldt Current, than in the warm season (November), when the warm, nutrient-poor Panama Current dominates. Diversity was not affected by seasonal fluctuations and remained constant throughout the year.

New records of the genera Leptogorgia, Pacifigorgia and Eugorgia (Octocorallia: Gorgoniidae) on the coast of Ecuador are reported. These new records redefine the current known limit of distribution of these species on the eastern Pacific coast (from southern California to Chile). Some of these species are reported for the first time since their original description. The newly collected specimens allow for the measurement of the variability of several morphological characters, from colonial to sclerite levels. Additionally, Pacifigorgia machalilla n. sp. is described and compared with its closest rela-tives. Morphological differentiation among related species is supported by genetic divergence estimated from an extended barcode of MutS + Igr + COI.

Several errors came to our attention after our manuscript was published, which we address here. First, Figure ​Figure99 corresponds to the colour plate under Figure ​Figure10;10; Figure ​Figure1010 corresponds to the SEM plate under Figure ​Figure9.9. Second, Figure ​Figure1313 corresponds to the SEM plate under Figure ​Figure14.14. Third, Figure ​Figure1414 is a new plate that was missing. Finally “Figure 12” that is written under Genus Swiftia Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864, in page 21 is a typo. Figure 9. Muricea tubigera Verrill, 1869a YPM 807. A Colony B Detail of branches C Sclerites, light micrograph. Figure 10. Muricea tubigera Verrill, 1869a YPM 807. A, B Calycular and coenenchymal spindles C, D Axial sheath spindles. Figure 13. Astrogorgia splendens (Thomson & Simpson, 1909), BM 1933.05.03.094. SEM sclerites. Figure 14. Leptogorgia ruberrima (W. Koch, 1886), BM 1933-03-13-024. A Fragment of the holotype B Sclerites, light micrograph C SEM sclerites. The correct, whole Figures and captions are reproduced here below.

Leptogorgia waltonae sp. nov. (Fig. 4–6) Holotype: USNM-1422111, dried specimen, Las Cuevas (19°17'54.026" N, -110°48'16.030" W), San Benedicto, Revillagigedo Archipelago, 20 m depth, January 20, 2000. Paratypes: USNM-1422112 dried specimen, San Benedicto, Revillagigedo Archipelago, 18 m depth, 2006. USNM-1422113, dried specimen, San Benedicto, Revillagigedo Archipelago, 18 m depth, 2006. USNM-1422114, dried specimen, Las Cuevas, San Benedicto, Revillagigedo Archipelago, 20 m depth, January 20, 2000. Holotype colony: A yellow colony considerably small (cluster growth), 1.7 cm in height and 1.3 cm in width (Fig. 4C). Holdfast rectangular (3–5 mm) from which arises a main stem 7 mm in width and 2 mm in diameter; which is divided by laterally growing into secondary branches – 6 mm in diameter. Polyps arranged irregularly all along the colony except in the main steam where they are absent. Polyps are fully retractile into the coenenchyme forming slightly raised polyp mounds 0.5 mm with oblong apertures (1 mm in length). The first lateral branch is missing showing the nude dark brown axis of about 1 mm in diameter (Fig. 4C) (Table 1). Holotype sclerites: The dominant type of sclerites is compact capstans (0.11 mm – 0.065 mm) (Fig. 5C). Spindles are scarce (0.13 mm – 0.06 mm) with 4–5 whorls of warty tubercles and acute ends (Fig. 5A,C, Table 1). Coenenchymal crosses are small up to 0.05 mm on each side (Fig. 5B). Coenenchymal and anthocodial sclerites are pale yellow (Fig. 4F, Table 1), the anthocodial sclerites are blunt rods with lobed margins (0.06 mm – 0.03 mm) observed with an optical microscope (Fig. 4F) but not observed with SEM. Variability. Colonies of Leptogorgia waltonae sp. nov. commonly have a highly varying coloration with polychromatic range of yellow, orange, pink, red, and purple in live and dried colonies and their sclerites (coenenchymal and anthocodial) (Fig. 4A–G). Larger but relatively uncommon colonies are bushy small (4.5 cm in height and 3.9 cm in width) with reddish-purple or pink coloration (Fig. 4B,D,E). All branches grow irregularly in several directions including some directed towards the substrate. Main branches of 5 to 15 mm in length and 2 – 4 mm in diameter arise from a holdfast up to 5 mm in length and 4 mm in width with a long main steam of 11 mm in length and 3 mm in diameter showing polyp mounds in the half top. Terminal twigs with conspicuous wart-like tips up to 6 mm in diameter are always present. Polyp mounds are slightly raised or prominent (about 2 mm) showing small circular or oval openings (Fig. 4H). The brownish nude axis (free of coenechyme) from ten colonies always shows several thin branches (1 mm diameter) at the base, but with conspicuously swollen, wart-like ends up to 3 mm in diameter (Fig. 6B). The main distinctive morphological character between small colonies and large colonies is that polyp mounds are slightly raised in small colonies and prominent in large colonies, so this attribute gives the colony a crumpled appearance. Remarks. Breedy & Guzman (2011) divided all the species of the genus Leptogorgia from the American Pacific within three morphological groups according to internal and external morphological traits: alba (5 spp.), rigida (8 spp.), and pumila (11 spp.). Leptogorgia waltonae sp. nov. is different because colonies are clustershaped with few short branches that grow downward in angles between 90° and 180° with unequal thicknesses, tipped with sphere-shaped warts. We compared morphology of L. waltonae sp. nov. with Leptogorgia ena (Breedy et al. 2012) because it is the species of the genus with more morphological similarities (Table 1). Leptogorgia ena resembles L. waltonae sp. nov. because both species are small (Leptogorgia ena has branches divided into two types of ramifications: (1) line with greater thickness in the intermediate zone but thinner in both the base and the tip, which can be sharpened and (2) thin branches at the base, but thick in both the intermediate portion and the tip; which are blunt. In contrast, L. waltonae sp. nov. has tips with sphere-shaped warts. We removed the coenenchyme from 10 colonies of L. ena collected at Oaxaca and 10 colonies of L. waltonae sp. nov. from Revillagigedo Archipelago, only the axis of L. waltonae sp. nov. always shows the tips with sphere-shaped warts (Fig. 6B) while L. ena shows the typical thin and homogeneous axis (Fig. 6A). Therefore, the thickness and shape of the branches in L. ena is due to thickening of the coenenchyme, while the thickness and shape of the branches in L. waltonae sp. nov. is due to the thickening of the axis. In fact, there is no other known Leptogorgia species in the American Pacific with the presence of this morphological character. Additionally, unlike L. ena, no tentacular sclerites were observed in L. waltonae sp. nov. These two distinctive morphological traits provide strong evidence that this is a new species (Table 1). For practical purposes Leptogorgia ena was tentatively classified within the pumila group, however, Breedy et al. (2012) emphasized that for its particular traits (the small colony, the dominance of wide capstans, barrels and double heads, the low occurrence of spindles, the maximum length of spindles 0.10 mm, and lastly, the presence of tentacular sclerites) it should be segregated from their mutual resemblance (Table 1). We propose to group the species L. ena and Leptogorgia waltonae sp. nov. into a new group called ena group, because both species grow as small-grouping cluster-shaped colonies, their branching is asymmetric in thickness, and have wide capstans, barrels, double heads (Table 1). Habitat. The colonies of Leptogorgia waltonae sp. nov. were collected attached to volcanic rocks up to 25 m depth and the highest density was observed at 10 m depth. Observations with the submersible DEEPSEE up to 200 m depth done in April 2016 confirmed this species has a shallow distribution pattern (Leptogorgia waltonae sp. nov. shares its benthic habitat with a dominant sponge (Aplysina revillagigedi Cruz-Barraza, Carballo, Rocha-Olivares, Ehrlich & Hog, 2012), which has a high percentage of covered area on the volcanic rocks. Distribution. Leptogorgia waltonae sp. nov. is only known from Revillagigedo Archipelago (Socorro and San Benedicto Islands). Type locality: San Benedicto. Etymology. Leptogorgia waltonae sp. nov. is named in honor of Christy Ruth Walton (USA) underwater adventurer and photographer. A passionate woman that supports multiple research programs and expeditions in the tropical eastern Pacific providing enthusiasm, funding, equipment, and travel support to scientists who are involved in research and conservation efforts of biota in the Gulf of California and the Mexican Pacific Ocean.

Two new species of the genera Eugorgia and Leptogorgia were discovered while underwater collecting at the Revillagigedo Archipelago, Mexico. Sea fan species diversity and density population in these four volcanic islands is low (

This article belongs to the Special Issue Progress on Marine Natural Products as Lead Compounds., Two new chloro-furanocembranolides (1, 2) and two new 1,4-diketo cembranolides (3, 4) were isolated from the crude extract of Leptogorgia sp. together with a new seco-furanocembranolide (5) and the known Z-deoxypukalide (6), rubifolide (7), scabrolide D (8) and epoxylophodione (9). Their structures were determined based on spectroscopic evidence. Four compounds: 1, 2, 7 and 8 were found to activate the proliferation of pancreatic insulin-producing (beta) cells., This work was supported by the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (SAF2009-0839 and RTA 2015-00010-C03-02). ARDM acknowledges funding from IMBRAIN project (FP7-REGPOT-2012-CT2012-31637-IMBRAIN) and from Cabildo de Tenerife (Agustín de Betancourt Programme). A.B.G. would like to thank Convenio Universidad de Magallanes (Chile) and CSIC, project 2009CL0031, for financial support.

The description and delimitation of species in an evolutionary framework is essential for understanding patterns of biodiversity and distribution, and in the assessment of conservation strategies for natural resources. This study seeks to clarify the evolutionary history and genetic variation within and between closely related octocoral species that are fundamental to benthic marine ecosystems for harbouring a high diversity of associated fauna. For our study system, we focused on members of the Gorgoniidae family in the Eastern Pacific, particularly of the Ecuadorian littoral, a less studied marine ecosystem. According to our results, the diagnosis of the genus Pacifigorgia is here amended to include species previously considered in the genus Leptogorgia. The genera Leptogorgia and Eugorgia are included within a single clade, and neither are recovered as monophyletic. In this case, according to the priority rule of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN), our proposal is to include the species considered in these two genera in Leptogorgia. In addition, we found evidence of interesting speciation patterns: morphological differentiation with no apparent genetic differentiation (in Pacifigorgia), and inconsistencies between mitochondrial and nuclear data that suggest a hybridisation phenomenon (in Leptogorgia). In the first case, recent radiation, ancient hybridisation, sympatric speciation, and in the second, reticulate evolution may have contributed to the evolutionary history of the studied taxa. Therefore, incongruences observed between morphological and molecular evidences in these octocorals, and in corals in general, may reveal the types of events/patterns that have influenced their evolution., This research received support from the SYNTHESYS Project http://www.synthesys.info/, which is financed by European Community Research Infrastructure Action under the FP7 Capacities Program. This research was also partially supported by a grant from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (CTM2014-57949-R).

International audience; Molecular analyses of the ecologically important gorgonian octocoral genus Leptogorgia are scant and mostly deal with few species from restricted geographical regions. Here we explore the phylogenetic relationships and the evolutionary history of Leptogorgia using the complete mitochondrial genomes of six Leptogorgia species from different localities in the Atlantic, Mediterranean and eastern Pacific as well as four other genera of Gorgoniidae and Plexauridae. Our mitogenomic analyses showed high inter-specific diversity, variable nucleotide substitution rates and, for some species, novel genomic features such as ORFs of unknown function. The phylogenetic analyses using complete mitogenomes and an extended mtMutS dataset recovered Leptogorgia as polyphyletic, and the species considered in the analyses were split into two defined groups corresponding to different geographic regions, namely the eastern Pacific and the Atlantic-Mediterranean. Our phylogenetic analysis based on mtMutS also showed a clear separation between the eastern Atlantic and South African Leptogorgia, suggesting the need of a taxonomic revision for these forms. A time-calibrated phylogeny showed that the separation of eastern Pacific and western Atlantic species started ca. 20 Mya and suggested a recent divergence for eastern Pacific species and for L. sarmentosa-L. capverdensis. Our results also revealed high inter-specific diversity among eastern Atlantic and South African species, highlighting a potential role of the geographical diversification processes and geological events occurring during the last 30 Ma in the Atlantic on the evolutionary history of these organisms.

The nudibranch Tritonia nilsodhneri, usually feeding on a variety of gorgoniacean species, is known from different localities of the eastern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. Knowledge of the host preferences of the Mediterranean populations is still scarce. Few records of this nudibranch have been reported from the eastern Mediterranean basin. With this report, the occurrence of T. nilsodhneri within the Mediterranean basin is extended to the Adriatic Sea. Furthermore, the list of the host species associated to the Mediterranean populations for feeding habits is increased from two up to five. Mediterranean specimens of T. nilsodhneri were observed for the first time feeding and spawning on Leptogorgia sarmentosa, Eunicella cavolini and E. labiata. Finally, these last two Gorgoniidae species are also reported here as a new host species for T. nilsodhneri., Morski puž golać, Tritonia nilsodhneri, poznat je s različitih lokaliteta istočnog Atlantskog oceana i Sredozemnog mora, a obično se hrani raznim vrstama gorgonija. Podatci o domaćinima za ovu vrstu u Sredozemlju su još uvijek rijetki. Postoji nekoliko zapisa o ovom pužu u istočnom dijelu Sredozemlja. Ovim radom zabilježena je nazočnost vrste T. nilsodhneri u Jadranskom moru. Nadalje, popis vrsta domaćina koji su povezani sa hranjenjem i mriještenjem sredozemne populacije se povećao sa dva na pet. Sredozemni primjerci T. nilsodheri su po prvi put zabilježeni tijekom hranjenja i mriješćenja na vrstama Leptogorgia sarmentosa, Eunicella cavolini i E. labiata. Ove posljednje dvije spomenute vrste Gorgonida su u ovom radu po prvi put zabilježene kao nova vrsta domaćina za T. nilsodheri.

Octocorals (order Alcyonacea) from the tropical eastern Pacific have been largely ignored in coral reef studies, with the exception of recent taxonomic reviews. This study is the first to examine the population dynamics of 10 shallow water species in six genera (Leptogorgia, Pacifigorgia, Muricea, Psammogorgia, Heterogorgia, and Carijoa) found in rocky coral communities in Coiba National Park, Pacific Panama. For a 17-mo period, we monitored, every 4 mo, 1445 colonies of 15 species in fixed plots at 20 m depth in four coral communities. Size distribution, survivorship, and recruitment rates were calculated. Growth rate was calculated for Leptogorgia alba Duchassaing and Michelotti, 1864, Pacifigorgia Irene Bayer, 1951, Psammogorgia arbuscula Verrill, 1868, and Muricea austera Lamouroux, 1821. Average octocoral density was 38.7 (SD 27.55) colonies m -2 (n = 1394) with a range of 1-103 colonies m -2 and 1-11 species within a study plot. An overall population decline of 25.2% was observed in 1 yr. Leptogorgia alba was the most common species; it was abundant at all sites and exhibited characteristics of an r-selected species. In contrast, M. austera showed traits of a K-selected species, with low mortality and recruitment rates. Studied species were grouped into two distinct clusters based on their distribution, average density, mortality, and recruitment rates. Five species were grouped with L. alba and six species were grouped with M. austera.

The octocoral fauna inhabiting the shallow waters (

Emerging fungal diseases are threatening ecosystems and have increased in recent decades. In corals, the prevalence and consequences of these infections have also increased in frequency and severity. Coral reefs are affected by an emerging fungal disease named aspergillosis, caused by Aspergillus sydowii. This disease and its pathogen have been reported along the Caribbean and Pacific coasts of Colombia. Despite this, an important number of coral reefs worldwide have not been investigated for the presence of this pathogen. In this work, we carried out the surveillance of the main coral reef of the Ecuadorian Pacific with a focus on the two most abundant and cosmopolitan species of this ecosystem, Leptogorgia sp. and Leptogorgia obscura. We collected 59 isolates and obtained the corresponding sequences of the Internal Transcribed Spacers (ITS) of the ribosomal DNA. These were phylogenetically analyzed using MrBayes, which indicated the presence of two isolates of the coral reef pathogen A. sydowii, as well as 16 additional species that are potentially pathogenic to corals. Although the analyzed gorgonian specimens appeared healthy, the presence of these pathogens, especially of A. sydowii, alert us to the potential risk to the health and future survival of the Pacific Ecuadorian coral ecosystem under the current scenario of increasing threats and stressors to coral reefs, such as habitat alterations by humans and global climate change., This research was only partially supported by a grant from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (CTM2014-57949-R).

Durante expediciones a la isla Malpelo en 2009 y 2010, se exploró la diversidad, abundancia y estado de los octocorales. Se encontraron siete especies de octocorales: Leptogorgia alba, Pacifigorgia cf. lacerata, Pacifigorgia sp.1 y Pacifigorgia sp.2, Muricea cf. fruticosa, Muricea sp. y la especie invasora Carijoa riisei. Los octocorales forman densas agregaciones en paredes y escarpes rocosos, con su mayor abundancia entre 10 y 20 m, alcanzando densidades máximas de hasta 20 colonias m-2. La especie más abundante fue Pacifigorgia cf. lacerata, con más de un 60 % de predominio en número y una frecuencia de aparición del 100 % para todos los sitios visitados. Para la mayoría de los sitios se determinó la existencia de tres zonas bien definidas de acuerdo a la profundidad. Una zona profunda entre 25 y 40 m, con dominancia exclusiva de L. alba, una estructura somera entre 7 y 20 m, con dominancia de Pacifigorgia spp. y una zona de transición comprendida entre 18 y 25 m, con una mezcla de L. alba y P. cf. lacerata, principalmente. De manera sorpresiva, durante noviembre de 2009 se encontraron poblaciones de Pacifigorgia y Leptogorgia visiblemente afectadas por enfermedades de posible origen fúngico. Después, en febrero de 2010, se visitaron de nuevo las mismas poblaciones de octocorales, en las que se constató una mortalidad de hasta 66 % de las colonias en algunas localidades. Leptogorgia se encontró notablemente menguada en el sector de El Arrecife, mientras que Pacifigorgia cf. lacerata tuvo mortalidades destacadas en La Nevera y El Freezer, y sus colonias se recuperaron en el sector de El Arrecife. Se encontró una disminución drástica de la incidencia de enfermedades para julio 2010, con porcentajes de colonias enfermas menores al 10 %. La especie invasora C. riisei fue observada en La Catedral y el bajo del Monstruo. De esta forma, este estudio amplía considerablemente el conocimiento sobre los octocorales de la isla Malpelo, y es la primera alarma sobre posibles amenazas a sus poblaciones locales, como lo son las enfermedades fúngicas y el octocoral invasor C. riisei. During three expeditions to the island (2009 and 2010), the diversity, abundance and status of octocorals were explored. Seven species of octocorals were recorded: Leptogorgia alba, Pacifigorgia cf. lacerata, Pacifigorgia sp.1 y Pacifigorgia sp.2, Muricea cf. fruticosa, Muricea sp., and the invasive species Carijoa riisei. Octocorals form dense aggregations in rocky walls and cliffs, with higher abundances between 10 and 20 m, reaching up to 20 colonies m-2. The most abundant species was Pacifigorgia cf. lacerata with a dominance of more than 60 % and a frequency of occurrence of 100 % for all visited sites. According to depth, three well-defined zones were determined for most sites. A deep zone between 25 and 40 m with an exclusive dominance of L. alba, a shallow assemblage between 7 and 20 m dominated by Pacifigorgia spp., and a transition zone between 18 and 25 m with a mixture of L. alba and P. cf. lacerata. Surprisingly, during November 2009, diseases of possible fungal origin visibly affected populations of Leptogorgia and Pacifigorgia. Subsequently, during February 2010 the same populations of octocorals were monitored and up to 66 % of the colonies were already dead in some locations. Leptogorgia had a significant reduction at El Arrecife site, while Pacifigorgia cf. lacerata had high mortality at La Nevera and El Freezer sites, and a recovery in El Arrecife. There was a notable improvement in disease prevalence by July 2010 with less than 10 % of diseased colonies. The invasive species C. riisei was observed in La Catedral and El Monstruo bank. Thus, this information increases considerably the knowledge of octocorals on Malpelo Island and is the first warning of possible threats against local octocoral populations, such as fungal diseases and the invasive octocoral C. riisei. INVEMAR Published Octocorals; Coral diseases

Octocorals are a diverse and ecologically important group of cnidarians. However, the phylogenetic relationships of many octocoral groups are not well understood and are based mostly on mitochondrial sequence data. In addition, the discovery and description of new gorgonian species displaying unusual or intermediate morphologies and uncertain phylogenetic affinities further complicates the study of octocoral systematics and raises questions about the role played by processes such as plasticity, crypsis, and convergence in the evolution of this group of organisms. Here, we use nuclear (i.e. 28S rDNA) and mitochondrial (mtMutS) markers and a sample of Eastern Pacific gorgonians thought to be remarkable from a morphological point of view to shed light on the morphological diversification among these organisms. Our study reveals the loss of the anastomosed colony morphology in two unrelated lineages of the seafan genus Pacifigorgia and offers strong evidence for the independent evolution of a whip-like morphology in two lineages of Eastern Pacific Leptogorgia. Additionally, our data revealed one instance of mito-nuclear discordance in the genera Leptogorgia and Eugorgia, which may be the results of incomplete lineage sorting or ancient hybridization-introgression events. Our study stresses the importance of comprehensive taxonomic sampling and the use of independent sources of evidence to address the phylogenetic relationships and clarifying the evolution of octocorals. UCR::Vicerrectoría de Investigación::Unidades de Investigación::Ciencias Básicas::Centro de Investigación en Ciencias del Mar y Limnología (CIMAR) UCR::Vicerrectoría de Investigación::Unidades de Investigación::Ciencias Básicas::Centro de Investigación en Estructuras Microscópicas (CIEMIC)

© 2016 by University of Hawai‘i Press, During a sampling program focused on Anthozoa from Ecuador, the caprellid Aciconula acanthosoma was found attached to gorgonians of the genus Leptogorgia collected in Machalilla National Park in November 2012 and June 2013 at depths between 15 and 20 m. The present study represents the first record of A. acanthosoma for Ecuador, increasing its distribution range 3,000 km southward.

Two new gorgonian species of the gorgoniid genera Eugorgia and Leptogorgia are described from Los Ahorcados (Ecuador, Eastern Pacific). The distinctive features of Eugorgia ahorcadensis sp. nov. are the brownish-orange colour of the colony, the polyp-mounds (slightly raised with red rings) and the coenenchymal sclerites (red, yellow, some bicoloured, abundant spindles and disc-spindles with the presence of capstans, but no complete double discs or crosses). The new species is compared with its closest congeners, the Eastern Pacific species E. ampla and E. bradleyi. The distinctive features of Leptogorgia mariarosacea sp. nov. are: the red colony colour, the prominent polyp-mounds and the coenenchymal sclerites (red, no bicoloured sclerites, spindles abundant, capstans present, but no crosses). The new species is compared with its closest congeners, the Eastern Pacific species L. aequatorialis and L. diffusa.

The gorgoniid genus Leptogorgia is found along the Pacific coast of Mexico; 10 species have been reported from Baja California and Acapulco. Leptogorgia ena sp. nov. is a new shallow-water species found at 5-12 m depth at various high energy rocky sites along the coast of San Pedro Pochutla District, Oaxaca. Specimens of the new species were collected by scuba diving and the morphological characters were analyzed and illustrated under light and scanning electron microscopy. The new species can be distinguished from the others by the very small colony, dominance of wide capstans, barrels and double heads, low occurrence of spindles, spindles measuring < 0.10 mm, and presence of tentacular sclerites. With this report, the genus Leptogorgia increases to 11 species for Mexico and 26 for the eastern Pacific.

Muricea is an amphi-American genus. Verrill proposed dividing the species from the Pacific Ocean into three genera and established the genus Eumuricea for five eastern Pacific species with tubular calyces. Eumuricea is basically characterized by colonies with elongate, cylindrical calyces with truncate margins and star-like opercula, and the occurrence of unilateral spinous spindles. According to these characteristics, Eumuricea does not show enough difference from Muricea to be treated as a separate genus. Original type material of Eumuricea was morphologically analysed and illustrated using optical and scanning electron microscopy. We conclude that the eastern Pacific species should be placed in the genus Muricea and form a group characterised by tubular calyces that comprises four species at present, M. acervata, M. hispida, M. squarrosa, and M. tubigera and a dubious species M. horrida. Lectotypes were designated for M. squarrosa and M. hispida to establish their taxonomic status. The genus Eumuricea has also been misunderstood by former authors who erroneously assigned species to it. For these species we propose new combinations: Swiftia pusilla, Astrogorgia splendens and A. ramosa. Universidad de Costa Rica/[808-A9-072]/UCR/Costa Rica UCR::Vicerrectoría de Investigación::Unidades de Investigación::Ciencias Básicas::Centro de Investigación en Ciencias del Mar y Limnología (CIMAR)

Construction of jetties along the Texas coast has provided hard substrate biota with suitable habitats for attachment that is otherwise scarce. Although similar to natural hard bottom environments such as coral reefs or offshore banks, jetties in temperate or subtropical areas are subjected to substantially more environmental instability including swift channelized currents, terrestrial runoff, maintenance dredging, fluctuating temperatures, and swells from ship and recreational boat traffic. The gorgonian coral Leptogorgia virgulata, found on south Texas jetties, is constantly exposed to the variable salinity and sediment loads associated with these jetty systems. In this study, L. virgulata was collected from the Aransas Pass jetties near Corpus Christi, Texas and experimentally tested to determine their ability to tolerate a range of salinities and sediment loads over 14 days. In response to salinity, L. virgulata showed significant tissue loss (p

The Oceanography Department of the Federal University of Pernambuco (DOCEAN- UFPE) possesses a large collection of octocoral samples from the Brazilian coast; most of which were collected during expeditions carried out on the oceanographic ships 'Akaroa,' 'Almirante Saldanha,' 'Antares,' 'Calypso,' and 'Canopus' between 1965 and 1971. This paper focuses on 7 new octocoral records that resulted from these surveys, of which 5 are first records for South Atlantic waters: Leptogorgia stheno (Bayer, 1952), Muriceopsis bayeriana Sanchez, 2007, Muri - ceo psis flavida Bayer, 1961, Chironephthya sp., and Thelogorgia studeri Bayer, 1992; the last spe- cies is also the first record of the Family Keroeididae for the region. Additionally, Nidalia occiden- talis Gray, 1835 was recorded for the first time in Brazil, while the genus Nidalia was a first time record for northern Brazil. All of these records highlight the importance of sampling carried out by oceanographic expeditions in filling some of the gaps in the geographic distribution of certain taxa, thus increasing the knowledge of marine biodiversity in the locations studied.

Leptogorgia tricorata is a new shallow-water species found at 14–22 m depth at two rocky islets on the north side of Cocos Island National Park, Costa Rica. The branching pattern, the small size, bright yellow color, long spindles (up to 0.2 mm), and the occurrence of tentacular rods distinguish the new species from others in the genus. Gorgoniids are rare in shallow waters at Cocos Island. Including the new species there are only three species found so far in the region. Leptogorgia tricorata is described, illustrated, and compared with other similar species of the genus reported from the eastern Pacific.