Swiftia sahlingi Breedy & Rouse & Stabbins & Cortés & Cordes 2019, sp. nov.

• Main Authors: Breedy, Odalisca, Rouse, Greg W., Stabbins, April, Cortés, Jorge, Cordes, Erik E.
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: unknown
• Published: Zenodo 2019
• Subjects: Biodiversity; Taxonomy; Animalia; Cnidaria; Anthozoa; Alcyonacea; Plexauridae; Swiftia; Swiftia sahlingi; Long Rock
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5621996; http://treatment.plazi.org/id/3D337F65E6378E540493364BFCBBFDFD

Swiftia sahlingi sp. nov. Figures 1–4 Material examined. Holotype : MZUCR 2725, SIO-BIC Co2917, ethanol preserved, Mound 12, 1000 m, HOV Alvin Dive 4908, pilot Jefferson Grau, R /V Atlantis Expedition AT 37-13, 23 May 2017. Paratypes : MZUCR 1967, ethanol preserved, Mound 12, AT15-44, HOV Alvin , Dive 4501, pilot M. Spear, 1000 m, 22 February 2009. MZUCR 2726, 2 specimens, ethanol preserved, as the holotype; MZUCR 2647, 3 specimens, ethanol preserved, as the holotype; MZUCR 2648, SIO-BIC Co 2916, ethanol preserved, Mound 12, 999 m, HOV Alvin , Dive 4907, pilot J. Patrick Hickey, 22 May 2017. MZUCR 2727, 5 specimens; MZUCR 2650 (CR-AV-4909- 4), 2 specimens; MZUCR 2730 (CR-AV-4909-5), ethanol preserved; MZUCR 2727, ethanol preserved; MZUCR 2731, fragment, ethanol preserved, Mound 12, 996– 1000 m, HOV Alvin , Dive 4909, pilot Mike Skowronski, 24 May 2017. MZUCR 2732, SIO-BIC Co 2935, dry, Mound 12, 1002 m, HOV Alvin , Dive 4917, pilot Jefferson Grau, 1 June 2017. MZUCR 2729, 2 specimens; MZUCR 2733, SIO-BIC Co 2945, 3 specimens, Mound 12, 996 m, HOV Alvin , Dive 4922, pilot Mike Skowronski, 5 June 2017. Type locality: Mound 12 (08°55.845´N, 084°18.768´W), 996–1002 m, Costa Rica Pacific margin. Description. The holotype is an erect, sparsely branched colony, 9 cm tall, and about 10 cm wide (Figs. 1A, 2A). It is attached to a 15-cm long rock together with a smaller colony (7 cm tall). The two colonies are about 2.5 cm apart, and arise from incrusting holdfasts about 1 cm in diameter each (Figs. 1A, 2 A–B). The main stem of the holotype is 3 mm in diameter at the base, and extends 7 mm tall, subdividing in 4 main branches that subdivide 2–3 times, branching up to five times (Fig. 1A). Branching is lateral and irregular in different planes. The branches are stout, and reach up to 2 mm in diameter including the polyp-mound. Unbranched terminal ends reach up to 8 cm in length. The flexible horny axis is light brown and somewhat translucent, with non-mineralised organic fibers. The main stem is devoid of polyps. The ...