Plazi
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The holotype of the deep-water gorgonian Victorgorgia nyahae is a complete colony, now broken into three fragments
As a whole, the colony had three main branches emanating from a small mount that encased a piece of coral rubble.
The largest of these branches is about 29 mm long, 1.8 - 2.9 mm in diameter, and has a small group of polyps branching off near the base.
The other colony fragments are about 25 - 29 mm long, have a slightly smaller diameter (1.8 - 2.1 mm) and no secondary branching.
The branches are occasionally curved and twisted and often not circular in cross-section, but rather irregularly narrowed and distorted.
There are no anastomoses present. The base of the colony consists of an encrusting membrane with a few scattered polyps.
Color: In the photograph taken shortly after collection, the polyps and distal half of the calyces are purple, the retracted tentacles are purple, and the rest of the colony is light cream.
Etymology: The species is named after the first author's daughter, Nyah, as a small compensation for a childhood overshadowed by a PhD.
Literature source:
A taxonomic revision of Anthothela (Octocorallia: Scleraxonia: Anthothelidae) and related genera, with the addition of new taxa, using morphological and molecular data
Kirrily M Moore, Philip Alderslade, Karen J. Miller
DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4304.1.1
https://www.biotaxa.org/Zootaxa/article/view/zootaxa.4304.1.1
As a whole, the colony had three main branches emanating from a small mount that encased a piece of coral rubble.
The largest of these branches is about 29 mm long, 1.8 - 2.9 mm in diameter, and has a small group of polyps branching off near the base.
The other colony fragments are about 25 - 29 mm long, have a slightly smaller diameter (1.8 - 2.1 mm) and no secondary branching.
The branches are occasionally curved and twisted and often not circular in cross-section, but rather irregularly narrowed and distorted.
There are no anastomoses present. The base of the colony consists of an encrusting membrane with a few scattered polyps.
Color: In the photograph taken shortly after collection, the polyps and distal half of the calyces are purple, the retracted tentacles are purple, and the rest of the colony is light cream.
Etymology: The species is named after the first author's daughter, Nyah, as a small compensation for a childhood overshadowed by a PhD.
Literature source:
A taxonomic revision of Anthothela (Octocorallia: Scleraxonia: Anthothelidae) and related genera, with the addition of new taxa, using morphological and molecular data
Kirrily M Moore, Philip Alderslade, Karen J. Miller
DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4304.1.1
https://www.biotaxa.org/Zootaxa/article/view/zootaxa.4304.1.1
