A facies of Kophobelemnon (Cnidaria, Octocorallia) from Santa Maria di Leuca coral province (Mediterranean Sea)
Mastrototaro, F.; Maiorano, P.; Vertino, A.; Battista, D.; Indennidate, A.; Savini, A.; Tursi, A.; D'Onghia, G. (2013). A facies of Kophobelemnon (Cnidaria, Octocorallia) from Santa Maria di Leuca coral province (Mediterranean Sea). Mar. Ecol. (Berl.) 34(3): 313-320. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/maec.12017 In: Marine Ecology (Berlin). Blackwell: Berlin. ISSN 0173-9565; e-ISSN 1439-0485, more |  |
| Keywords | Kophobelemnon stelliferum (Müller, 1776) [WoRMS]
Marine/Coastal | | Author keywords | Bathyal facies;biodiversity;cold-water corals; Kophobelemnon stelliferum ;Mediterranean Sea |
| Authors | | Top | - Mastrototaro, F.
- Maiorano, P.
- Vertino, A., more
- Battista, D.
| - Indennidate, A.
- Savini, A.
- Tursi, A.
- D'Onghia, G.
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| Abstract | During a research cruise carried out in April 2010, aimed at updating the knowledge on the biodiversity of the Santa Maria di Leuca (SML) cold-water coral province (Mediterranean Sea), a facies of the sea pen Kophobelemnon stelliferum (Muller, 1776) was found on mud-dominated bottoms. This finding represents a new species and a new habitat record from the SML coral province as well as a new bathyal facies in the whole Central Mediterranean Sea. The colonies were collected using an epi-benthic sledge, at depths between 400 and 470 m. A significant positive relationship between polyp number and colony length was detected. Density of the colonies ranged from 0.003 to 0.038 N·m−2. Differences and affinities between Mediterranean and Atlantic occurrences of K. stelliferum are discussed. |
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