Pleurogorgia militaris Nutting, 1908
From Nutting, 1908:
Pleurogorgia militaris, new speciesPlate XLVI, Fig. 8; plate LI, Fig 2.Colony incomplete, consisting of a straight smooth stem about 112 min. long, giving off unilateral branches which are 8 mm apart and all in the same plane. The branches are very slightly curved, but not bent or geniculate; their surface is smooth, and on their upper sides are borne the equidistant polyps which are about 7 mm apart. On another specimen of the same species the stem bears a row of similarly spaced polyps opposite the branches, each being about one-third the length of an internode below the branch origin on the opposite side. The polyps are rather slender, cylindrical, 3 mm. high to base of tentacles, the broadest part being beneath the tentacle bases. They stand erect, nearly at right angles to the branch, but are sometimes inclined toward the distal end. The tentacles are long, nonretractile, with conspicuous fringes. Spicules long, needle-shaped, forming eight very conspicuous longitudinal bands in polyp wall, ending in acute points at tentacle bases. Tentacle spicules few or entirely wanting. The cortex appears smooth, but contains a very thin layer of scale-like spicules witll jagged ends, longitudinally disposed. Color of stem dark brown with slight iridescence; branches and polyps lighter brown.Type.- Cat. Nu. 25334, U.S.N.M., Albatross Station 4093, northeast approach to channel between Maui and Molokai, 1171 fathoms. This was one of the deepest successful hauls made during the cruise. The name militaris was suggested by the stiff regularity of the attitide of the polyps.