Coralliidae

Key to the species of Coralliidae from the Atlantic Ocean (modified from Bayer 1964)

1 Autozooids retractile within short, hemispherical cortical mounds; long spindles in the tentacles absent... 2 (Fig. 2, 5 A, 8A)

- Autozooids contractile, forming prominent cylinders when contracted; long spindles in the tentacles present..5 (Fig. 10 A, B)

2 Cortical mounds distributed on all sides of the colony; double clubs absent in cortex; live colonies with cortex and axis usually red.......................................................................................... C. rubrum

- Cortical mounds distributed predominantly on one side of the colony; double clubs abundant in cortex; live colonies with cortex white, yellow or pinkish; axis yellowish or white.......................................................... 3

3 Elongated 8-radiates (Fig. 9 Ae, Be; higher than 0.1 mm) in both cortex and cortical mounds present; double clubs wider than high (0.027 × 0.034 – 0.041 × 0.064 mm)................................................. C. johnsoni (Fig. 8, 9)

- Elongated 8-radiates in both cortex and cortical mounds absent................................................. 4

4 Cortical mounds with eight obvious lobes extending to the base; regular double clubs without apparent lateral projections; double clubs (0.042 × 0.048 – 0.074 × 0.078 mm) with similar width and height, cortex yellow or white; phylogenetically classified in Clade IA......................................................................... C. medea (Fig. 5)

- Cortical mounds without eight obvious lobes extending to the base; regular double clubs mostly with apparent lateral projections; double clubs (0.040 × 0.043 – 0.057 × 0.064 mm) with more prolonged and closer heads; live colonies with cortex pinkish, yellowish in ethanol; phylogenetically classified in Clade II......................... C. occultum n. sp. (Fig. 2–4 A)

5 Double clubs not present or rare.......................................................................... 6

- Double clubs abundant................................................................................. 7

6 Eight-radiates predominate, 6- and 7-radiates common; elongated and symmetrical 8-radiates present; live colonies with white to lightly pink cortex, snow white axis....................................................... C. niobe (Fig. 7 C)

- Six-, 7-, and 8-radiates predominate; elongated and symmetrical 8-radiates absent; live colonies with deep pink to red cortex, red axis................................................................................. C. bathyrubrum

7 Heads of double clubs smooth with weak protuberances; branching in one plane extremely profuse; live colonies with ochraceous yellow cortex and orange autozooids....................................................... C. maderense

- Heads of double clubs rough with obvious protuberances; branching in one plane moderately dense; live colonies otherwise coloured............................................................................................ 8

8 Double clubs large, with two jagged-edged heads decorated by hypertrophied rays or pointed projections; live colonies white with slightly pinkish autozooids......................................................... C. bayeri (Fig. 7 A, B)

- Double clubs small, with two not well separated heads decorated by blunt projections; live colonies yellow to cream with vermilion red or pink autozooids............................................................ C. tricolor (Fig. 10)