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Thesea rubra is a deep-water gorgonian that copes very well with different water temperatures and salinity levels due to its deep distribution.
Thesea rubra is a small red fan with white polyps on the side edges of the flattened branches, which thicken at the tip, a real eye-catcher!
The colonies are densely branched in one plane, with the branches laterally compressed, with low warty calyxes arranged on the sides of the branches.
The colonies are red, which is due to the color of the large granular sclerites in the outer coenenchyma, resulting in a fine-grained surface
Thesea rubra has been recorded in the northeast and northwest Gulf of Mexico at depths of 64 - 837 meters (Etnoyer & Cairns, 2017).
This species has not been documented in U.S. waters outside the Gulf of Mexico (Cairns & Hourigan, 2017).
However, the type locality is in the Caribbean off the island of Carriacou (Grenada) at a depth of 216 meters, see (Deichmann, 1936)
Thesea rubra differs from other Thesea species by the presence of red sclerites in the outer coenenchyma and white sclerites in the inner coenenchyma.
Two species can easily be confused as Thesea rubra. Scleracis guadalupensis differs from Thesea rubra by the large cylindrical calyxes and the uniform thickness of the branches. Thesea granulosa can be distinguished microscopically by the different coloration of the sclerites, but also lacks the thickening at the distal tips.
Literature reference:
Shuler AJ and PJ Etnoyer. (2020)
Alcyonacean octocorals of the Pinnacle Trend: A photo-identification guide.
NOAA Technical Memorandum NOS NCCOS
282. 56 pp. doi:10.25923/xzd1-z382
Thesea rubra is a small red fan with white polyps on the side edges of the flattened branches, which thicken at the tip, a real eye-catcher!
The colonies are densely branched in one plane, with the branches laterally compressed, with low warty calyxes arranged on the sides of the branches.
The colonies are red, which is due to the color of the large granular sclerites in the outer coenenchyma, resulting in a fine-grained surface
Thesea rubra has been recorded in the northeast and northwest Gulf of Mexico at depths of 64 - 837 meters (Etnoyer & Cairns, 2017).
This species has not been documented in U.S. waters outside the Gulf of Mexico (Cairns & Hourigan, 2017).
However, the type locality is in the Caribbean off the island of Carriacou (Grenada) at a depth of 216 meters, see (Deichmann, 1936)
Thesea rubra differs from other Thesea species by the presence of red sclerites in the outer coenenchyma and white sclerites in the inner coenenchyma.
Two species can easily be confused as Thesea rubra. Scleracis guadalupensis differs from Thesea rubra by the large cylindrical calyxes and the uniform thickness of the branches. Thesea granulosa can be distinguished microscopically by the different coloration of the sclerites, but also lacks the thickening at the distal tips.
Literature reference:
Shuler AJ and PJ Etnoyer. (2020)
Alcyonacean octocorals of the Pinnacle Trend: A photo-identification guide.
NOAA Technical Memorandum NOS NCCOS
282. 56 pp. doi:10.25923/xzd1-z382
