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Corallium cf. elatius (Ridley, 1882), ASIZ0000962. (A) left, "front" of colony, right, "back" of colony with white arrows indicating the openings of solenial canals; (B) close-up view of cortical mounds and papillae, with white arrow indicating a siphonozooid, black arrow indicating a papillae; (C) sclerites from cortical mounds and autozooids.
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Members of the family Coralliidae, known as precious corals, are ecologically and economically important deep-sea organisms. However, these organisms are currently threatened by commercial harvesting. In order to create and implement effective conservative strategies, taxonomic knowledge of conservative targets is necessary, but unfortunately the t...
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Context 1
... and the possession of 6-radiates and double clubs as the major types of sclerites. However, the axis is a different color, being orange instead of red. Further examination of the cortex of ASIZ0000962 revealed that the minute punctiform elevations are composed of papillae and siphonozooids, which are crowded at the base of the cortical mounds (Fig. 3A, B), and the dorsal side of the colony is smooth with many openings of solenial canals (Fig. 3A). We tentatively identify this colony as C. elatius. The characteristics in the following key are a combination of those in Ridley's description and our own observations of ...
Context 2
... the axis is a different color, being orange instead of red. Further examination of the cortex of ASIZ0000962 revealed that the minute punctiform elevations are composed of papillae and siphonozooids, which are crowded at the base of the cortical mounds (Fig. 3A, B), and the dorsal side of the colony is smooth with many openings of solenial canals (Fig. 3A). We tentatively identify this colony as C. elatius. The characteristics in the following key are a combination of those in Ridley's description and our own observations of ...
Citations
... Coral species whose skeletal axis is used as a gemstone are called precious corals. Precious corals belong to the phylum Cnidaria, subphylum Anthozoa, class Octocorallia, order Scleralcyonacea, and family Coralliidae, and among the 42 species of family Coralliidae, eight species are used in jewelry, art objects, and other artifacts (Tu et al., 2012;Tu et al., 2016;Iwasaki, 2019;McFadden et al., 2022). The axial skeletons of precious corals, family Coralliidae, consist of high-magnesian calcite. ...
The Lead 210 (²¹⁰Pb) concentrations were determined to estimate the skeletal growth rates in the four species of precious corals including Japanese red coral (Corallium japonicum), pink coral (Pleurocorallium elatius), white coral (P. konojoi), and a deep-sea coral (Coralliidae sp.), and in a bamboo coral (Keratoisis sp.). Colonies were collected from the southern coast of Japan, western North Pacific margin. The ²¹⁰Pb concentrations typically showed the exponential decrease with distance from the edge to the center of the skeleton axis in a cross section of main stem of colonies. The mean radial growth rates for colonies were estimated from the slopes of the best fit curves for exponential decrease in ²¹⁰Pb concentration along the multiple transects. The obtained mean and standard deviation of radial growth rates in the diameter (the number of transects, n) for three colonies of C. japonicum were 0.31 mm/y (n = 1), 0.21 ± 0.05 mm/y (n = 2), and 0.36 ± 0.13 mm/y (n = 2), respectively, which were broadly comparable to the previously reported growth rates obtained by growth ring counting. Those obtained for three white coral colonies were 0.52 mm/y (n = 1), 0.60 mm/y (n = 1), and 0.36 ± 0.25 mm/y (n = 2). The radial growth rate for the bamboo coral colony was 0.13 mm/y in radius. The linear growth of the main steam of some colonies was analyzed from several cross sections. The linear growth rates of colonies could be estimated from the slope of the best fit curve (1) for increasing mean ²¹⁰Pb concentration along the cross transects of the axis and (2) for increasing center ²¹⁰Pb concentration of the skeleton axis. The linear growth rates calculated from the mean and center concentrations for two C. japonicum colonies were 8.5 and 6.1 mm/y, and 1.8 and 1.4 mm/y, respectively. Those for a P. elatius colony were 4.7 and 3.4 mm/y. The difference between the two estimates may reflect the morphological structure of the skeleton. The growth rates measured for the radial increase and linear extension of the main stem of the colonies could provide basic information for the demographic study of these coral species thereby fostering a rational exploitation of their populations.
... In parallel, a debate began whether these actions are sufficient to achieve a sustainable precious coral jewelry industry, or if restrictions of their trade should also be envisaged [13][14][15]. The monitoring and control of the trade of vulnerable and No No No No No No No No No No No pale pink, darker center [33] pale pinkishorange [26] deep pink to red [34] white [34] dark pink [35] milk white [26] rich pink [35] white [33] white [36] pale pink [33] pink [26] Hawaiian Islands [33] New Caledonia [26] North-West Atlantic [34] North-West Atlantic [34] East-Pacific [35] Hawaiian Islands [26] East-Pacific [35] Hawaiian Islands [33], Emperor Seamount [4] Western Atlantic [36] Hawaiian Islands [33] Taiwan, Japan [5], Philippines [4] Pleurocorallium elatius species complex P. elatius * Yes red to pink with white center [29], orange [37] Taiwan, Japan, Vietnam [5] P. konojoi * Yes milky white, pinkish center [37] Japan, Taiwan, Vietnam [5] P. carusrubrum * No crimson, orange [26,37] Taiwan [37] Pleurocorallium secundum P. secundum * Yes pale pink, often almost white [33] Hawaiian Islands [33], Taiwan [38] [26] white with pink center [39] white [26] white [29] white [29] white [33] white [26] white [31] endangered species is implemented by The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), an agreement signed and regularly updated by the parties of the United Nations. The trade regulations are codified by national legislation and implemented by local law enforcement authorities. ...
... In parallel, a debate began whether these actions are sufficient to achieve a sustainable precious coral jewelry industry, or if restrictions of their trade should also be envisaged [13][14][15]. The monitoring and control of the trade of vulnerable and No No No No No No No No No No No pale pink, darker center [33] pale pinkishorange [26] deep pink to red [34] white [34] dark pink [35] milk white [26] rich pink [35] white [33] white [36] pale pink [33] pink [26] Hawaiian Islands [33] New Caledonia [26] North-West Atlantic [34] North-West Atlantic [34] East-Pacific [35] Hawaiian Islands [26] East-Pacific [35] Hawaiian Islands [33], Emperor Seamount [4] Western Atlantic [36] Hawaiian Islands [33] Taiwan, Japan [5], Philippines [4] Pleurocorallium elatius species complex P. elatius * Yes red to pink with white center [29], orange [37] Taiwan, Japan, Vietnam [5] P. konojoi * Yes milky white, pinkish center [37] Japan, Taiwan, Vietnam [5] P. carusrubrum * No crimson, orange [26,37] Taiwan [37] Pleurocorallium secundum P. secundum * Yes pale pink, often almost white [33] Hawaiian Islands [33], Taiwan [38] [26] white with pink center [39] white [26] white [29] white [29] white [33] white [26] white [31] endangered species is implemented by The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), an agreement signed and regularly updated by the parties of the United Nations. The trade regulations are codified by national legislation and implemented by local law enforcement authorities. ...
... In parallel, a debate began whether these actions are sufficient to achieve a sustainable precious coral jewelry industry, or if restrictions of their trade should also be envisaged [13][14][15]. The monitoring and control of the trade of vulnerable and No No No No No No No No No No No pale pink, darker center [33] pale pinkishorange [26] deep pink to red [34] white [34] dark pink [35] milk white [26] rich pink [35] white [33] white [36] pale pink [33] pink [26] Hawaiian Islands [33] New Caledonia [26] North-West Atlantic [34] North-West Atlantic [34] East-Pacific [35] Hawaiian Islands [26] East-Pacific [35] Hawaiian Islands [33], Emperor Seamount [4] Western Atlantic [36] Hawaiian Islands [33] Taiwan, Japan [5], Philippines [4] Pleurocorallium elatius species complex P. elatius * Yes red to pink with white center [29], orange [37] Taiwan, Japan, Vietnam [5] P. konojoi * Yes milky white, pinkish center [37] Japan, Taiwan, Vietnam [5] P. carusrubrum * No crimson, orange [26,37] Taiwan [37] Pleurocorallium secundum P. secundum * Yes pale pink, often almost white [33] Hawaiian Islands [33], Taiwan [38] [26] white with pink center [39] white [26] white [29] white [29] white [33] white [26] white [31] endangered species is implemented by The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), an agreement signed and regularly updated by the parties of the United Nations. The trade regulations are codified by national legislation and implemented by local law enforcement authorities. ...
The production and trade of objects manufactured from the skeletal axis of coralid precious corals is a historically, culturally and economically important global industry. Coralids are members of the diverse Coralliidae family, which contains several species complexes and morphospecies. For most precious coral found in the jewelry trade, the color remains the sole clue and link to the taxonomic identity of the individual. Different coralid species have however similar or overlapping colors resulting in difficulty to taxonomically identify jewelry objects, including four species listed by the Convention on the International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES) whose international transport and trade requires species-specific and country of origin documentation. We aimed at developing a reliable method to taxonomically identify coralid material with the objective of distinguishing CITES protected species from their non-protected counterparts. We present Coral-ID, a genetic assay to taxonomically classify coralid objects using quasi non-destructive sampling. The assay classifies the analyzed sample in one of six taxonomic categories and performs at least presumptive separation of CITES-listed and non-listed species in all cases. Developmental validation experiments prove that Coral-ID is a specific, accurate and very sensitive method. As the first attempt to randomly sample corals in the trade to identify them, we applied Coral-ID on 20 precious coral objects seized by custom authorities upon import to in Switzerland. Thirteen (65%) of these samples could be analyzed; three of these were found to be presumptively CITES-listed, and 10 of them have proven to originate from non-CITES-listed species.
... Using their 2003 revised generic system, Nonaka and Muzik (2010) reviewed the past studies of Indo-Pacific species of Coralliidae. Tu et al. (2012) described two new species from Taiwan, and described two new species from Japan. Ardila et al. (2012), using molecular analyses, recognized Paracorallium as a junior synonym of Corallium Cuvier, 1798 and proposed to use the genus Hemicorallium Gray, 1867, for species having tentacles with long rod sclerites, cylindrical autozooid mounds and smooth axes. ...
... Remarks. Some species belonging to genus Pleurocorallium, such as P. borneense (Bayer, 1950), P. carusrubrum (Tu, Dai, and Jeng, 2012), P. clavatum Tu, Dai, and Jeng, 2016, P. konojoi (Kishinouye, 1903), P. niveum (Bayer, 1956), P. norfolkicum Jeng, 2016, P. porcellanum, P. pusillum (Kishinouye, 1903), P. occultum (Tu, Altuna, and Jeng, 2015) are also known to have autozooid-clusters as well as the present specimens. Of these nine species, P. borneense, P. carusrubrum, P. pusillum and P. occultum are having orange or reddish coenenchyme. ...
... However, the autozooids of P. borneense are distributed on all side of the branch (Bayer 1950). Pleurocorallium carusrubrum has smaller autozooids (about 0.4 mm in diameter), axis in crimson red, and almost no 8-radiate sclerite in its coenenchyme (Tu et al. 2012). And P. occultum is an Atlantic species. ...
Investigations were carried out on 22 deep-water octocoral specimens in the family Coralliidae sampled from the Emperor Seamounts during 2009 to 2012. The specimens were collected from 350–1100 m deep, mostly from the southernmost region of the Emperor Seamounts. Colonies were identified by visual and microscopic observation of standard morphological characters (colony size, diameters of colony base and branches, diameter and height of autozooid mound, thickness of coenenchyme and sclerite sizes, etc.) along with supporting information from molecular DNA analysis. Half of the 22 specimens were identified as Pleurocorallium cf. pusillum (Kishinouye, 1903), suggesting that the species called “Mid” that was once harvested dominantly in this area was this species. The remaining 11 specimens were identified as genus Hemicorallium Gray, 1867. These were identified as belonging to the following species: one previously described species [H. laauense (Bayer, 1956)], three similar species [H. cf. abyssale (Bayer, 1956), H. cf. regale (Bayer, 1956), H. cf. sulcatum (Kishinouye, 1903)] and three new species (H. kaiyo sp. nov., H. muzikae sp. nov. and H. tokiyasui sp. nov.).
... As a consequence, these samples could be identified only to the genus level as Hemicorallium. Some samples had identical sequences as the three genetically and morphologically, very similar species, Pleurocorallium, P. carusrubrum, P. elatius and P. konojoi 47,53 . Of these species, the latter two are well known in the jewelry industry, while the former is a recently described species known from a single area of the West Pacific 53 . ...
Precious coral species have been used to produce jewelry and ornaments since antiquity. Due to the high value and demand for corals, some coral beds have been heavily fished over past centuries. Fishing and international trade regulations were put in place to regulate fishing practices in recent decades. To this date, the control of precious coral exploitation and enforcement of trade rules have been somewhat impaired by the fact that different species of worked coral samples can be extremely difficult to distinguish, even for trained experts. Here, we developed methods to use DNA recovered from precious coral samples worked for jewelry to identify their species. We evaluated purity and quantity of DNA extracted using five different techniques. Then, a minimally invasive sampling protocol was tested, which allowed genetic analysis without compromising the value of the worked coral objects.The best performing DNA extraction technique applies decalcification of the skeletal material with EDTA in the presence of laurylsarcosyl and proteinase, and purification of the DNA with a commercial silica membrane. This method yielded pure DNA in all cases using 100 mg coral material and in over half of the cases when using “quasi non-destructive” sampling with sampled material amounts as low as 2.3 mg. Sequence data of the recovered DNA gave an indication that the range of precious coral species present in the trade is broader than previously anticipated.
... As a consequence, these samples could be identified only to the genus level as Hemicorallium. Some samples had identical sequences as the three genetically and morphologically, very similar species, Pleurocorallium, P. carusrubrum, P. elatius and P. konojoi 47,53 . Of these species, the latter two are well known in the jewelry industry, while the former is a recently described species known from a single area of the West Pacific 53 . ...
Precious coral species have been used to produce jewelry and ornaments since antiquity. Due to the high prices at which corals are traded, coral beds have been heavily fished. Hence, fishing and international trade regulations were put in place. However, poaching remains extensive and mislabeling of products is common. To this date, the control of precious coral exploitation and enforcement of trade rules have been largely impaired by the fact that species of processed coral skeletons can be extremely difficult to distinguish even for trained experts.
Here, we developed methods to use DNA recovered from worked precious coral skeletons to identify their species. We evaluated purity and quantity of DNA extracted using five different techniques. Then, a minimally invasive sampling protocol was tested, which allowed genetic analysis without compromising the value of the worked coral objects.
We found extraction of pure DNA possible in all cases using 100 mg skeletal material and over half of the cases when using “quasi non-destructive” sampling with sampled material amount as low as 2.3 mg. Sequence data of the recovered DNA gave a strong indication that the range of precious coral species present in the trade is broader than previously anticipated.
... , b;Baldwin and Weigt 2012;Sparks and Gruber 2012;Walsh and Tanaka 2012;Carvalho- Filho and Ferreira 2013;Pyle and Earle 2013; Robertson 2014, 2015;Fukui and Motomura 2014; Copus et al. 2015a, b;Stiller et al. 2015;Anderson et al. 2016; Baldwin et al. 2016a, b;Carvalho-Filho et al. 2016;Pyle and Kosaki 2016;Sinniger et al. 2016;Tea et al. 2016;Tornabene et al. 2016b;Anderson and Johnson 2017;Conway et al. 2017;Easton et al. 2017Easton et al. , 2018Easton et al. , 2019Hastings and Conway 2017;Motomura et al. 2017;Prokofiev 2017;Rocha et al. 2017;Tornabene and Baldwin 2017;Walsh et al. 2017;Winterbottom 2017; Montgomery et al. 2019), algae (Norris and Olsen 1991;Ballantine and Norris 1994; Aponte 1996, 2002; Ruiz 2010, 2011;Athanasiadis et al. 2013;Tsuda et al. 2015;Spalding et al. 2016Spalding et al. , 2019a, anthozoans(Vermeij et al. 2003;Tu et al. 2012; Guzman 2013, 2016;Randall 2015;Kise and Reimer 2016;Samimi-Namin et al. 2016;Benayahu et al. 2017Benayahu et al. , 2019Rowley et al. 2019), other invertebrate groups ...
Although the existence of zooxanthellate corals in mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCEs; light-dependent coral ecosystems from 30 to 150 m in depth) has been known since the nineteenth century and focused scientific exploration of MCEs began over 50 years ago, more than 70% of all research on MCEs has been published only within the past seven years. MCEs represent approximately 80% of potential coral reef habitat worldwide, yet very little is known about them in comparison to shallow reefs. Many MCE species new to science have been discovered in the past decade, and many more await discovery. The term MCEs has been widely adopted by the scientific community since its 2008 inception; however, there is considerable inconsistency in how it is subdivided into “upper” and “lower” (and sometimes “middle”) zones. Moreover, doing so may lead to artificial boundaries when habitats and ecological communities at different depth zones may blend together. Growing evidence suggests that MCEs harbor proportionally more geographically endemic species than their shallow-water counterparts, and initial indications are that major biogeographic patterns described for shallow reef organisms may not apply to MCEs. Although MCEs may serve as refugia for some shallow species, they are increasingly recognized as unique ecosystems, important in their own right. Future research on MCEs should aim to address gaps in our understanding of the basic physical and biological characteristics of MCEs including geography, taxonomic composition, depth distribution, ecology, physiology, and connectivity. Improving knowledge of MCEs would benefit from combining different technologies to leverage the strengths of each.
... The small seamount associated with Peng-Chia-Yu Island, a small outcrop 60 km northeast of Keelung in Taiwan, is a special area with controlled commercial fishing for precious red corals (MOJ 2014). One endemic new species, Corallium carusrubrum Tu, Dai & Jeng, 2012 (Anthozoa: Octocorallia: Coralliidae) was recently described from this site. ...
Two brachyuran species of the families Dymidae and Iphiculidae are reported from red coral beds in northern Taiwan. The dynonemid Acanthodromia margarita (Alcock, 1899) has hitherto been reported from the Andaman Sea, Japan, and Philippines and the species is here recorded for the first time from Taiwan. A new species of iphiculid, Pariphiculus stellatus sp. n., is also described. The new Pariphiculus, which also occurs in the Philippines, is superficially similar to P. agariciferus Ihle, 1918, a species known from Indonesia, Japan, Philippines, South China Sea, Taiwan, and Vanuatu, but can be distinguished by distinct carapace, pleonal and male first gonopod features.
... Lamouroux (1812) erected the family Coralliidae and since then, octocorals featuring a continuous stony axis of calcium carbonate and covered with a thin cortical layer have been classified as members of this family (Bayer 1956). Currently, there are 39 species of coralliid corals with a higher diversity in the Pacific Ocean Tu et al. 2012Tu et al. , 2015a. ...
... Collection specimens of the following 28 species were studied and compared (see also the material listed in Tu et al. 2015a): Corallium japonicum Kishinouye, 1903, C. rubrum (Linnaeus, 1758, Hemicorallium sulcatum (Kishinouye, 1903), Pleurocorallium carusrubrum (Tu, Dai & Jeng, 2012), P. elatius (Ridley, 1882), P. inutile (Kishinouye, 1902) and P. konojoi (Kishinouye, 1903) from ASIZ; H. taiwanicum Tu et al., 2012 from NMNS;C. nix Bayer, 1996 andP. ...
... While Bayer (1956) described the presence of double clubs in H. regale, in the examination of the holotype, USNM 49520, the double clubs modified from 6-radiates with two prominent heads are absent. Furthermore, the common shape of double clubs is also absent in Bayer (1956) figure 7g and in Tu et al. (2012) figure 13. Therefore, in the present study, double clubs are considered to be absent in H. regale ...
The systematics of Coralliidae has been revised based on molecular phylogenetic analysis and detailed morphological studies. This revision has also revealed the existence of new species. In order to fully accomplish this revision, five new species including Hemicorallium aurantiacum sp. nov., Pleurocorallium bonsaiarborum sp. nov., P. clavatum sp. nov., and P. norfolkicum sp. nov. from New Caledonia, and H. guttatum sp. nov. from the Hawaiian Archipelago are described by integrating the phylogenetic inference and morphological comparisons. Moreover, the type specimens of Corallium tortuosum, H. reginae, H. halmaheirense, P. porcellanum and P. kishinouyei as well as non-type specimens of C. stylasteroides are redescribed. The sclerites of H. reginae, H. halmaheirense, P. porcellanum and C. stylasteroides were first depicted by scanning electron microcopy. A thorough comparison between P. porcellanum and P. kishinouyei indicated that they should be regarded as one species and the former was adopted as the senior synonym. The two new species of Hemicorallium can be separated by morphological features based on the result of multiple factor analysis. A key is proposed for the identification of all existing species of Coralliidae.
http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:7B772D08-E3D6-4585-AE78-E5A31BE32ECC
... regale), C. sulcatum and Corallium sp. nov.] (Bayer and Cairns 2003 ;Simpson and Watling 2011 ;Tu et al. 2012 ). Next in importance are the black corals in the order Antipatharia, which includes seven families (Antipathidae, Aphanipathidea, Cladopathidae, Leiopathidae, Myriopathidae, Schizopathidae and Stylopathidae ) and over 200 known species, with at least 13 species in 11 genera used in the jewelry trade (Opresko 2001 ;WCMC 2008 ). ...
... Corallium elatius is reported from the northern Philippines to Japan, around the island of Taiwan, and Mauritius and Palau from 150 to 330 m. White coral C. konojoi occurs from Japan to northern Philippines, around Palau and the Chinese islands of Hainan from 50 to 200 m. A fourth coral, Corallium sulcatum is reported to have been intensively harvested around Japan and Taiwan between the 1970s-1990s (Tu et al. 2012 ), but this is not reported in the FAO dataset and is likely pooled with other species depth zones, 50-400 m and 1,000-1,500 m. Three commercially valuable species inhabit waters around Japan, the Philippines and Taiwan: C. konojoi is found from 50 to 150 m and Paracorallium japonicum and Corallium elatius occur from 75 to 330 m ( Fig. 46.2 ). ...
Precious corals have been used in jewelry, decorative arts, religious artifacts, and for medicinal purposes for over 5,000 years. Traditional harvest of precious corals involves the use of non-selective coral dredges and trawls. In many fisheries, these destructive fishing gears are still legally used due to the logistical challenges and high costs associated with extraction of these sessile organisms from great depths. The high value of these resources have triggered exploitation patterns that are similar to strip mining. This has resulted in unstable yields and frequent population collapses, and fishers have been forced to search for new stocks as local areas were depleted. Tangle net dredges have been slowly eliminated from some fisheries, beginning in the 1980s, with harvest undertaken using conventional and mixed-gas SCUBA, ROVs and submersibles. These newer techniques have allowed fishermen to harvest black coral, Mediterranean red coral and certain Pacific species of red coral more selectively and efficiently. While SCUBA fisheries cause less damage to the habitat, targeted species are being extracted from refuges that were previously inaccessible to traditional coral dredges and trawls. This practice has helped maintain landings at artificially high levels, providing a false sense that the fishery is sustainable. Nevertheless, in the same manner as non-selective trawl fisheries, SCUBA fishers have been forced to expand their search into new areas and deeper waters as shallow coral beds are depleted, contributing to further decline of precious coral stocks.
... According to , the genus Corallium Cuvier, 1798 comprises 26 species with the majority endemic to the Pacific Ocean, where the family is much diversified. New species have been described recently by from the North Atlantic, by Tu et al. (2012) from the northwestern Pacific region, and by Nonaka et al. (2012) from Japanese waters. Coralliidae are less diversified in the Atlantic Ocean, with eight species of Corallium known to occur after updating Bayer & Cairns (2003): C. bayeri C. bathyrubrum Simpson & Watling, 2011;C. ...
... Traditionally, the identification of Coralliidae depends solely on the external morphological characters including axis, branching pattern, polyp arrangement, surface texture, and sclerome (see Molodtsova 2013 for this newly introduced concept). Although morphological characters describe variation among species, they are continuous and qualitative traits, which may be sometimes not enough to clearly delimit species boundaries (Bayer et al. 1983;Ardila et al. 2012;Tu et al. 2012). In some cases, the variation among morphological characters may be too subtle to be observed, increasing the difficulty of identification (Nonaka et al. 2012). ...
Three species of deep-water bathyal Coralliidae were collected during the INDEMARES 2010 expedition of the Spanish Institute of Oceanography to the Avilés Canyon System and the Galicia Bank (Spain, northeast Atlantic): Corallium occultum n. sp., Corallium cf. bayeri Simpson & Watling, 2011, and Corallium niobe Bayer, 1964. The new species is supported by both morphological and molecular evidence, and its phylogenetic relationship within the Coralliidae is inferred. Corallium cf. bayeri is first recorded from European waters. Corallium johnsoni Gray, 1860 from off Portugal and Madeira, and Corallium tricolor (Johnson, 1898) from Madeira are redescribed from museum material, and their sclerites first depicted by scanning electron microscopy. The sclerome of C. johnsoni is more complex than previously thought, with occurrence of double clubs, and 6-, 7- and 8-radiates. A key is proposed for the identification of all the Atlantic species of the genus Corallium.
