Material examined: BBB 2016: St. 18; St. 21; St. 40. PD BB 2017: St. 29; St. 43.
Remarks: All the colonies were associated with octocorals and polyps were linked by stolons or by a continuous coenenchyme. The column and sometimes the coenenchyme were encrusted with sand, which made histological and microanatomy analysis difficult.
Our preliminar analysis showed two morphotypes. The morphotype I (four lots BBB 2016: St. 40 (2), St. 18, St. 21) are colonies with columns and coenenchyme heavily encrusted, and the morphotype II (two lots PD BB 2017: St. 43 and St. 29) are colonies with less sand incrustations in the column. The morphotype I was found associated to Alcyonium sollasi and octocoral axes while the morphotype II was found on primnoid colonies (Thouarella spp). Histological and molecular analyses are in progress to define their taxonomic status.
There is only one record of zoanthids in the Argentinian continental shelf. Schejter & Mantelatto (2011) cited Epizoanthus paguricola off Buenos Aires coast (85–131 m), but the records of the present study represent the first in Sub-antarctic waters.