NOAA Okeanos Explorer
Info
The deep-sea gorgonian Narella fordi is previously known only from Te Kaitira Seamount south of the Phoenix Islands.
The coral was discovered and photographed by NOAA's Okeanos Explorer in 2017.
While the paper " An illustrated key to the species of the genus Narella (Cnidaria, Octocorallia, Primnoidae" excludes commensalism with polychaete in Table 1 (Table 1),
the photo of the Okeanos Explorer shows clearly several annelids on the coral!
Further theses of the occurrence on the coral could therefore:
- Parasitism
- symbiosis
- protection / hiding of the worms
- parabiosis
be
Colony color: white
The species name "fordi" was chosen in honor of Robert H. Ford, terrestrial plant ecologist, teacher and scientific colleague
The coral was discovered and photographed by NOAA's Okeanos Explorer in 2017.
While the paper " An illustrated key to the species of the genus Narella (Cnidaria, Octocorallia, Primnoidae" excludes commensalism with polychaete in Table 1 (Table 1),
the photo of the Okeanos Explorer shows clearly several annelids on the coral!
Further theses of the occurrence on the coral could therefore:
- Parasitism
- symbiosis
- protection / hiding of the worms
- parabiosis
be
Colony color: white
The species name "fordi" was chosen in honor of Robert H. Ford, terrestrial plant ecologist, teacher and scientific colleague
