Drs. Steve Morton & Susan DeVictor
Info
Nidalia occidentalis is a very small but colorful soft coral that was discovered by Drs. Steve Morton & Susan DeVictor on August 30, 2004 at a depth of 63 meters off Anastasia Island, Florida, in the South Atlantic Bight, East Coast of the USA.
Further specimens were found off Charleston, South Carolina, April 12, 1974, and in 60 meters also off Anastasia Island, Florida, August 31, 2004.
Nidalia occidentalis is easily distinguished from other octocorals in the South Atlantic Bight by the stiff, bare stalk and the head bearing the monomorphic polyps and conical calyxes.
The stalk of the coral bears large (up to 1 mm), slightly curved, tuberculate spindles, while the anthocodia contain smaller needle-like rods in a conical and punctate arrangement as well as small flat platelets.
The large spindles are six times longer than wide, a feature that distinguishes Nidalia occidentalis from Nidalia rigida, which has thicker spindles.
One specimen of Nidalia occidentalis in the living state had an orange-colored stalk and a red end piece with white polyps.
The examined specimens reach a length of 20 mm.
A find report from Venezuela states a depth of 914 meters /, 1936; Bayer 1961; Verseveldt 1978; NMNH collections; SERTC collection).
Our very special and heartfelt thanks for the permission to use all color photos from the article "Identification guide to the shallow water (0-200 m) octocorals of the South Atlantic Bight" goes to the two authors Drs. Steve Morton & Susan DeVictor, USA.
Further specimens were found off Charleston, South Carolina, April 12, 1974, and in 60 meters also off Anastasia Island, Florida, August 31, 2004.
Nidalia occidentalis is easily distinguished from other octocorals in the South Atlantic Bight by the stiff, bare stalk and the head bearing the monomorphic polyps and conical calyxes.
The stalk of the coral bears large (up to 1 mm), slightly curved, tuberculate spindles, while the anthocodia contain smaller needle-like rods in a conical and punctate arrangement as well as small flat platelets.
The large spindles are six times longer than wide, a feature that distinguishes Nidalia occidentalis from Nidalia rigida, which has thicker spindles.
One specimen of Nidalia occidentalis in the living state had an orange-colored stalk and a red end piece with white polyps.
The examined specimens reach a length of 20 mm.
A find report from Venezuela states a depth of 914 meters /, 1936; Bayer 1961; Verseveldt 1978; NMNH collections; SERTC collection).
Our very special and heartfelt thanks for the permission to use all color photos from the article "Identification guide to the shallow water (0-200 m) octocorals of the South Atlantic Bight" goes to the two authors Drs. Steve Morton & Susan DeVictor, USA.
