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New abyssal Primnoidae (Anthozoa: Octocorallia) from the Clarion-Clipperton Fracture Zone, equatorial northeastern Pacific

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Abstract

Three new species, including a new genus, Abyssoprimnoa, are described from abyssal depths from the easternmost Clarion-Clipperton Fracture Zone in the equatorial northeastern Pacific. This prompted the listing of all 39 octocorallian taxa collected deeper than 3000 m, which constitutes only about 1.2 % of the octocoral species. To place this in perspective, the depth records for other benthic cnidarian orders are compared.

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Acknowledgments

I would like to thank Tina Molodtsova (Shirshov Institute of Oceanology) for suggesting the idea of working on these specimens. The UKSRL specimens were collected by Diva Amon and Craig Smith, University of Hawaii, as part of the ABYSSLINE Project, Cruise AB01; they were transported to the NMNH by Les Watling. The German sector specimens (from BGR) were graciously loaned from the Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung by Dorte Janussen, Annika Janssen and Carsten Ruehlemann. Tim Coffer constructed Figs. 2, 3 and 4, and Bob Ford photographed and constructed Fig. 1.

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  1. Department of Invertebrate Zoology, MRC 163, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, 20560, USA

    Stephen D. Cairns

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  1. Stephen D. Cairns
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Correspondence to Stephen D. Cairns.

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Communicated by B. W. Hoeksema

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Cairns, S.D. New abyssal Primnoidae (Anthozoa: Octocorallia) from the Clarion-Clipperton Fracture Zone, equatorial northeastern Pacific. Mar Biodiv 46, 141–150 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12526-015-0340-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12526-015-0340-x

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