You are here
Taxonomy
Metallogorgia splendens (Verrill, 1883)
Nomenclature
-
Family: Chrysogorgiidae Verrill, 1883Genus: Metallogorgia Versluys 1902
Chrysogorgia splendens Verrill, 1883
SUMMARY
Original description from Verrill 1883 (Bull. Mus, Comp. Zool. p25):
Dasygorgia splendens: "Coral slender, spirally branched, much as in D. spiculosa and D. agassizii, but apparently has lower and more bushy growth. Main stem rather stout, bent in zigzag; distance between branches usually 5 to 8 mm. Axis polished, with a very brilliant metallic iridescence, in which deep emerald green and blue tints predominate ; in the branches the axis is amber-colored, with less iridescence. Coenenchyma thin, with small fusiform spicula. The calicles are distant, rather stouter than in most species of the genus, but perhaps a little shorter than D. spiculosa ; they mostly stand a little obliquely ascending on the branches, and are much broader than the smaller ones; they are nearly cylindrical, or only a little constricted above the base, which is a little expanded ; summit prominently eight-lobed. The calicles are thickly covered with rather large, oblong, blunt, thickened, smoothish, iridescent spicula, which rise up distinctly above the surface and are not closely imbricated ; they lie nearly longitudinally on the sides, but obliquely at the base, where the largest ones are situated. The spicula of the coenenchyma are smaller, flattened, oblong and fusiform, often with indented edges, but with a smooth, lustrous, iridescent surface."
Notes from Deichmann, 1936:
"On the account of its incomplete state it is impossible to ascertain the mode of branching. It is therefore merely an assumption to refer these fragments to Metallogorgia, but the strong metallic lustre of the stem, the high degree of branching, and the shape of the spicules are points in favor of this determination. [...] It is quite possible that the present species will be found to be identical with M. melanotrichos."