Epizoanthus fatuus (Schultze, 1860)

Fig. 6A.

Palythoa fatua Schultze, 1860: 36.

MATERIAL. LV-75-16, 55.5774ºN 167.3258ºE, depth 4277 m, one colony photographed; LV-75- 22, 55.5134ºN 167.3270ºE – 55.5087ºN 167.3236ºE, depth 3602– 3534 m, three colonies photographed.

LV-82-5, 55.2698ºN 167.2995ºE – 55.2738ºN 167.2974ºE, depth 3520– 3435 m, two colonies collected (samples 7 and 8) and one colony photographed.

REMARKS. Deep-water colonial zoantarian growing on the stem of glass sponge of the genus Hyalonema. The species is recorded in the abyssal zone on the northern and southern slopes of the Vulcanologov Massif and in the Komandor Graben from 3435 to 4277 m; two colonies were collected. The zooids densely cover the sponge stem composed of bundle of spicules. They extend from the lover part of the stem, along the whole its length, to the body of the sponge located on the top of the stem. They are also found on the dead stems which have no body of the sponge at the end (Fig. 6A) sometimes inhabited by other organisms (hydroids or sea anemones, Fig. 2A). Zooids are white, up to 2–3 cm high and have two cycles of the tentacles.