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New family of sea anemones (Actiniaria, Acontiaria) from deep polar seas

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Abstract

We describe and illustrate two new species from polar deep seas that belong to a new genus and family. Antipodactidae fam. nov. is characterized by acontia with macrobasic p-amastigophores; this type of nematocyst has never been reported from acontia. Antipodactis gen. nov. is characterized by a column with a distinct scapus and scapulus, cuticle-bearing tenaculi on the scapus, more mesenteries proximally than distally, mesenteries regularly arranged, restricted and reniform retractor musculature, and macrobasic p-amastigophores in the acontia. Antipodactis scotiae sp. nov. and A. awii sp. nov. differ in number of mesenteries, retractor and parietobasilar muscles, cnidae, and geographic distribution. We discuss the familial and generic characters of Antipodactis gen. nov. and its relationship to other families of acontiarian sea anemones: it most closely resembles members of Kadosactidae in terms of anatomy and some aspects of cnidom, and has a cnidom identical to that of Diadumenidae in terms of the types of nematocysts. Because the morphology of nematocysts is critical to the diagnosis of this family, we review and comment on the nomenclature of mastigophores. The macrobasic p-amastigophores of Antipodactidae fam. nov. conform to England’s (Hydrobiologia 216/217:691–697, 1991) definition rather than that of Mariscal (Coelenterate Biology. Academic Press, New York, pp 129–178, 1974).

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Acknowledgments

Special thanks to Dr. Joseph Maria Gili (Instituto de Ciencias del Mar, Barcelona), Prof. Wolf Arntz (Alfred Wegener Institute, Bremerhaven), and Prof. Angelika Brandt (Zoological Institut and Zoological Museum, Hamburg), for making possible the participation of ER and PJLG in the Antarctic cruises. Thanks to Mercedes Conradi (Universidad de Sevilla) who collected the Antarctic material that started this manuscript, and to Melanie Bergmann (AWI), who provided the material of A. awii sp. nov. We gratefully acknowledge the officers and crew of the R/V Polarstern, and many colleagues on board during the ANDEEP-I cruise for their valuable assistance. Abby Reft (Ohio State University, Columbus) is thanked for her useful comments on cnidae. Thanks to the reviewers Daphne Fautin, Verena Häussermann, and Nadya Sanamyan whose comments greatly improved this manuscript. Support was provided by a MCT-CSIC grant (I3P-BPD2001-1) to ER, and Spanish CICYT projects: REN2003-04236, REN2001-4269-E, and CGL2004-20141-E. Additional support was provided by NSF EF-0531763 to MD. This is ANDEEP publication number 112.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, Ohio State University, 1315 Kinnear Rd., Columbus, OH, 43212, USA

    Estefanía Rodríguez & Marymegan Daly

  2. Departamento de Fisiología y Zoología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, Reina Mercedes 6, 41012, Sevilla, Spain

    Estefanía Rodríguez & Pablo J. López-González

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  1. Estefanía Rodríguez
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  2. Pablo J. López-González
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  3. Marymegan Daly
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Correspondence to Estefanía Rodríguez.

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Rodríguez, E., López-González, P.J. & Daly, M. New family of sea anemones (Actiniaria, Acontiaria) from deep polar seas. Polar Biol 32, 703–717 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-008-0575-0

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