[Coral-List] Coral polyp identification (organism of unknownidentity)

[Shimrit Perkol-Finkel]

Diego,

 

Another thought for you: while working at Prof. Y. Benayahu’s lab in
Tel-Aviv University we used to conduct numerous settlement experiments of
soft corals and sometimes (specifically when working with the species
Heteroxenia fuscescens) we observed a planular stage somewhere between a
planula and a first polyp (we called it polynula). Those guys looked a bit
like the specimen in your photo. 

 

Hope this helps!

 

Shimrit

 

-- 

Shimrit Perkol-Finkel, Ph.D.

Scienze Ambientali, Università di Bologna, 

Via S. Alberto, 163, I-48100 Ravenna, Italy.

Phone: +39 0544 937302 Fax: +39 0544 937303

Mobile: +39 3492 362500 e-mail: sperkol at gmail.com 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: coral-list-bounces at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
[mailto:coral-list-bounces at coral.aoml.noaa.gov] On Behalf Of Donald Potts
Sent: Thursday, June 25, 2009 12:35 AM
To: coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
Subject: Re: [Coral-List] Coral polyp identification (organism of
unknownidentity)

 

 

Diego,

 

This is a wonderful demonstration that all identifications should be 

treated as hypotheses - constrained by the availability of evidence, and 

by individual experiences.

 

I based my decision (Octocorallia) on 8 tentacles, well-developed pharynx 

(indicating a polyp), and the aboral thickening that may be relatively 

"muscular" (also suggesting a polyp). There is a small pointed structure 

between the tentacles that I'm interpreting as part of it's oral structure 

- if it should really be a new tentacle beginning to develop, then I'd 

have to think again about whether it's realy an octocoral.

 

Regards

 

Don

***********************************************************************

Donald C. Potts

 

Director - CDELSI

    (Center for the Dynamics and Evolution of the Land-Sea Interface)

 

Professor of Biology

    Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

       & Institute of Marine Sciences

    Office:  A408 Earth & Marine Sciences Building

    Lab:     D480 Earth & Marine Sciences Building

 

Office: (831) 459-4417            MAIL ADDRESS:

Lab:    (831) 459-5063            A316 Earth & Marine Sciences Building

Fax:    (831) 459-4882            University of California

Cell:   (831) 435-9323            Santa Cruz

Email:  potts at biology.ucsc.edu    California  95064  U.S.A. 

***********************************************************************

 

> ------------------------------

> 

> Message: 2

> Date: Tue, 23 Jun 2009 19:20:40 +0000

> From: Diego Fernando Lozano Cort?s <di8go11 at hotmail.com>

> Subject: Re: [Coral-List] Coral polyp identification (organism of

>     unknown     identity)

> To: <coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov>

> Message-ID: <SNT113-W114E9059B09FD75ECC3F9BF2360 at phx.gbl>

> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="windows-1252"

> 

> 

> Hi Donald,

> 

> Thank you very much for your help and interest. Until now I had received 

> two responses. Ron Karlson who thinks it's a hydrozoan actinula larva, 

> and Gustav Paulay who thinks it's an anemone (and not a hydrozoan 

> because of the pharynx that is visible in the photo). At the moment I 

> have no data on the size of the organism, but this was collected in a 

> trawl from a depth of 30 meters to surface.

> 

> Link:
http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h241/carlosgm/Polipo-Gorgona2006.jpg

> 

> Thank you very much.

> Cheers!

> 

> Diego Fernando Lozano-Cort?s

> Senior Biology Student

> Universidad del Valle

> Cali, Colombia (Southamerica)

> Coral Reef Ecology Research Group

> di8go11 at hotmail.com

> 

> ?Si quiere conocer el oc?ano Pac?fico.. vaya a Chile Si quiere conocer 

> el oc?ano Atl?ntico.. vaya a Jamaica. Si quiere conocer los Andes 

> americanos.. vaya a Bolivia. Si quiere conocer las llanuras del 

> Orinoco... vaya a Venezuela. Si quiere conocer las selvas del 

> Amazonas... vaya a Brasil. Si quiere conocer las culturas 

> precolombinas... vaya a M?xico. Pero si quiere conocer todo ello 

> junto... venga a Colombia.?

> 

> 

> _________________________________________________________________

k

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