The enigmatic soft coral Ceratocaulon wandeli Jungersen, 1892 (Octocorallia, Malacalcyonacea), a molecular and morphological approach with description of a new family
López-González, P.J.; Sanmartín-Payá, E.; Williams, G.C. (2024). The enigmatic soft coral Ceratocaulon wandeli Jungersen, 1892 (Octocorallia, Malacalcyonacea), a molecular and morphological approach with description of a new family. Mar. Biodiv. 54(6). https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12526-024-01476-y In: Marine Biodiversity. Springer: Heidelberg; Berlin. ISSN 1867-1616; e-ISSN 1867-1624, more |  |
| Keywords | Taxonomic status > New taxa > New family
Marine/Coastal |
| Authors | | Top | - López-González, P.J.
- Sanmartín-Payá, E.
- Williams, G.C., more
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| Abstract | The genus Ceratocaulon Jungersen, 1892 was based on a single colony collected in NW Iceland, describing also the type species C. wandeli Jungersen, 1892. A few additional specimens were collected during the Danish Ingolf Expedition in 1891. The family placement of this genus was very controversial due to initial misinterpretation of internal anatomical features. Ceratocaulon was initially assigned to the family Xeniidae Ehrenberg, 1828, commonly found in temperate to tropical regions. However, this genus was later transferred to Alcyoniidae Lamouroux, 1812, after the correct interpretation of its internal anatomy. The lack of collections and studies that provide additional morphological details and molecular information for more than a century has surrounded this species with a halo of uncertainty and enigma. A recent phylogenomic study proposed its separation to an incertae sedis placement due to the lack of molecular information available. During the BIOICE Program ca. 1500, colonies of C. wandeli were collected, and a few additional samples provided by the BIOICE and IceAGE project allowed the extraction and successful amplification of mitochondrial genes. The present morphological and molecular study demonstrates an isolated placement of Ceratocaulon wandeli within the Order Malacalcyonacea McFadden, van Ofwegen and Quattrini, 2022, supporting the erection of a new family, Ceratocaulidae fam. nov. |
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