Fannyella (Scyphogorgia) abies

Fannyella (Scyphogorgia) abies (Broch, 1965)

(Figures 2, 5, 6, 7, 8)

Thouarella (Euthouarella) abies Broch, 1965: 29–30; pl. 5, figs 14–16, pl. 7, fig. 22. Thouarella abies – Bayer 1998: 171, 173 (in text).

Fannyella (Scyphogorgia) liouvillei – Cairns and Bayer 2009: 28, 36; figs 8i–p (in part: Thouarella abies).

Examined material

Holotype: NHM B970, “Brategg” Expedition, “Tromso-Tral 2”, 6 nautical miles north of Coronation Island, South Orkneys, Antarctica, 274.2–310.76 m depth, 30 November 1959, one colony. Additional material: CRO-0047 and CRO-0050, ANT XVII-3, stn 158-01, 63°04.70′ S, 57°31.60′ W, South Shetland Islands, Antarctica, 94–95 m depth, 26 April 2000, one colony each; CRO-0045, TAN0402, stn 14, 71°43.88′ S, 171°45.00′ E, cape Adare, Antarctica, 451 m depth, 5 February 2004, one colony; CRO-0046, TAN0402, stn 20, 71°44.44′ S, 171°38.64′ E, cape Adare, Antarctica, 400–415 m depth, 5 February 2004, one colony fragment; NIWA 60493, TAN0402, stn 91, 72°16.61′ S, 171°26.94′ E, cape Adare, Antarctica, 409–414 m depth, 14 February 2004, five fragments of colonies and one colony; MNA 2463 and MNHN-1K.2009–810, VLT ITALICA (XIX), stn A-1, 71°15.5′ S, 170°41.9′ E, Cape Adare, Antarctica, 515 m depth, 15 February 2004, one colony and three fragments respectively; MNA 2464, VLT ITALICA (XIX), stn H-OUT-2 (ter), 72°17.1′ S, 170°29.9′ E, Possession Islands, 369–388 m depth, 17 February 2004, two fragments of colonies; MNA 2465, VLT ITALICA (XIX), stn H-OUT-3 (bis), 72°17.4′ S, 170°26.4′ E, Possession Islands, 205–258 m depth, 17 February 2004, two fragment of colonies and three colonies fragmented; NIWA 60494, TAN0402, stn 105, 71°15.45′ S, 170°38.08′ E, Cape Adare, Antarctica, 462–470 m depth, 18 February 2004, five fragments of colonies and five colonies; NIWA 60495, TAN0402, stn 186, 71°30.72′ S, 171°25.51′ E, Cape Adare, Antarctica, 389–390 m depth, 27 February 2004, two colonies; NIWA 60496, TAN0402, stn 188, 71°32.85′ S, 171°6.67′ E, Cape Adare, Antarctica, 280–286 m depth, 27 February 2004, one colony; CRO-0049, ANT XXIII-8, stn 608-01, 61°11.34′ S, 54°43.17′ W, Elephant Island, Antarctica, 293 m depth, 20 December 2006, one colony; CRO-0051, ANT XXIII-8, stn 687-01, 62°35.19′ S, 54°45.99′ W, south Elephant Island, Antarctica, 263 m depth, 4 January 2007, one colony; CRO-0048, ANT XXIII-8, stn 693-01, 62°25.84′ S, 55°35.07′ W, south Elephant Island, Antarctica, 243 m depth, 5 January 2007, one broken colony.

Description of the holotype

Colony (Figure 7A) 36 cm total height and 6 cm width, bottlebrush with simple branchlets (Figure 7B) up to 4 cm long, all around. Axis dark brownish, broken in its proximal portion, without holdfast.

Polyps (Figures 7B, 8A) straight and directly upward to branchlets, placed in whorls, three to five polyps per whorl (Figure 8B) and seven or eight whorls per centimetre. Polyps not present on main stem. Polyps (Figure 8) cylindrical, about 1.00– 1.67 mm height and up to 0.49 mm diameter. Polyp body with six longitudinal rows of scales, six or seven scales on each longitudinal abaxial row (Figure 8C) overlapping one another, and adaxial row partially naked with two or three scales (Figure 8D).

Opercular scales (Figure 9A) eight in number, 0.17–0.38 by 0.09–0.2 mm, triangular with acute tip or small thorn, two adaxial scales smaller. Proximal inner surface with large tubercles, covering at least half of their longitude; distal surface ridged, with a weak keel. Outer surface strongly granulated forming ridges. Basal margin with digitate processes, free margin serrated.

Marginal scales (Figure 9B) eight in number, 0.35–0.50 by 0.19–0.29 mm, triangular with acute tip or small thorn. Proximal inner surface with large tubercles. Distal inner surface granulated forming ridges longitudinally near tip. Outer surface with transverse crest dividing the scale into two distinct parts: distal smooth and proximal tuberculate. Basal margin with digitate processes, free margin serrated.

Body scales (Figure 10A) fan-shaped with pointed tips, 0.27–0.38 by 0.26–0.38 mm. Proximal inner surface almost completely covered by large tubercles, distal inner surface ridged. Outer surface and free margins as in marginal scales.

Coenenchymal scales (Figure 10B) round, oval-shaped, 0.20–0.48 mm maximum length. Inner surface tuberculate, large warts, outer surface smooth. Free margin smooth or finely serrated.

Variations from holotype

The general colonial structure of the studied specimens is quite similar to that of the holotype. Single bottlebrush colonies up to 36 cm height and 7 cm width, some colonies divided basally giving up to seven main side branches (Figure 11) of up to 45 cm height and 6.8 cm width each, giving a total colony height of 48.5 cm and a total width of 18 cm. Branchlets simple, up to 76 mm. Branchlets quite crowded, more than 12 branchlets per centimetre, sometimes giving the false impression of being ramified at their base. Polyps arranged in three to eleven whorls, usually four to six. Whorls from four to nine per centimetre, usually six or seven. Single polyps also present on main stem. Calyces from 0.85 to 2.2 mm height and from 0.44 to 0.66 mm width, inclined towards the branchlet, composed of five to eight scales in each longitudinal abaxial row. Tentacular scales, eight in number, range from 0.24 to 0.63 mm height and from 0.07 to 0.25 mm width. Marginal scales in groups of eight, range from 0.43 to 0.85 mm height and from 0.22 to 0.5 mm width. Body wall scales range from 0.24 to 0.45 mm height and from 0.23 to 0.60 mm width; coenenchymal scales with a maximum length of 0.09–0.50 mm. Sclerites form and distribution are as in the holotype. Living colonies (Figure 11B,C) orange in colour, while preserved colonies (Figure 11A) have a dark brown stem and creamy white coenenchyme and polyps.

Geographical and bathymetrical distribution

At present, Fannyella abies (Broch, 1965) is known from the South Orkney Islands (Coronation Island), South Shetland Islands (Elephant Island), the Antarctic Peninsula and Cape Adare and Possession Islands from the eastern Ross Sea (Figure 1) between 94 and 550 m in depth. Cairns and Bayer (2009) reported additional material and locations of this species as Fannyella (Scyphogorgia) liouvillei (at least the lots USNM 58156, USNM 82981, and USNM 82980).