Alcyonium glaciophilum Ofwegen, 2007, n. sp.
Creators: name: Ofwegen, Van
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2007
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Cnidaria
Anthozoa
Alcyonacea
Alcyoniidae
Alcyonium
Alcyonium glaciophilum

description: Alcyonium glaciophilum n. sp.
(Figs. 1a, 2 a, 3a, 4)
Holotype and three microscope slides: RMNH Coel. 34935, Chile, Tempano Fjord, 16 km from head, south shore, 48°42'50.0'' S, 74°11'02.7'' W, depth 10–15 m, coll. VH & GF, 25 March 2005.
Paratypes: MZUC-UCCC 32677, one colony, same data as holotype; ZSM 20061186, two colonies, same data as holotype.
Description. Holotype 3.5 cm high and 3 cm wide, consisting of 4 slightly flattened lobes (Fig. 1a).
Polyps distributed over the whole surface of the colony, almost reaching the base. The polyps, which are completely withdrawn, are up to 0.70 mm wide and 0.45 mm in length; calyces are not present.
Anthocodiae have a collaret composed of 3 to 5 rows of spindles (Fig. 3 a); these spindles are up to 0.50 mm long, with simple tubercles (Fig. 4 a–b). Points have spindles similar to those of the collaret, with clubs present distally, up to 0.30 mm long (Fig. 4 c). In the tentacles spiny rods are found, up to 0.20 mm long (Fig. 4 d).
The surface layer of the top of the colony has clubs, up to 0.30 mm long, with spiny heads (Fig. 4 e); the interior has spindles, up to 0.50 mm long, with simple tubercles, (Fig. 4 f–g). Furthermore, sparsely ornamented rods are also present in the interior (Fig. 4 h).
The base of the colony has sclerites similar to those of the top of the colony (Fig. 4 i–k).
Colour. Alive or preserved the colonies are orange (Fig. 2 a), anthocodial sclerites are colourless, other sclerites yellow.
Etymology. The species name is from the Latin glacies, ice, and philum, nature, since it only seems to appear in fjords influenced by icebergs (and their sediment).
Habitat, distribution and abundance. The species was found between 10 and 15 m depth on vertical rocky walls of the Tempano fjord (Central Patagonian Zone) which is under strong influence of glacial sediment. It is one of the few species that withstands strong stress from fine glacial sediment.
Variability. One ZSM 20061186 paratype is digitiform.
Remarks. Alcyonium sollasi Wright & Studer, 1889, from the Straits of Magellan and Shag Rocks, has similar rods in the interior (see Verseveldt & Ofwegen, 1992). It differs in colony shape, with many rounded lobes, and in having clubs with less spiny heads in the surface of the coenenchyme. Moreover, preserved colonies have a brown or yellowish white color, while all specimens of A. glaciophilum n. sp. are orange.
A. haddoni Wright & Studer, 1989, from the Messier Channel, Chile, and A. patagonicum (May, 1899), from the Patagonian Shelf, can have a similar colony shape as A. glaciophilum n. sp. Both species, however, lack the sparsely ornamented rods in the interior of the colony.
A. yepayek n. sp. also has a similar colony shape as A. glaciophilum n. sp., and also has sparsely ornamented rods in interior of the base of the colony. It differs in lacking these rods in the interior of the top of the colony, and most clubs having a central wart.
description: Published as part of Ofwegen, Van, 2007, The genus Alcyonium (Octocorallia: Alcyonacea: Alcyoniidae) in Chile, pp. 1-19 in Zootaxa 1607 on pages 2-7, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.178819