| A new family of antipatharian corals, Myriopathidae (Cnidaria: Anthozoa: Antipatharia), is established for Antipathes myriophylla Pallas and related species. The family is characterized by polyps 0.5 to 1.0 mm in transverse diameter; short tentacles with a rounded tip; acute, conical to blade-like spines up to 0.3 mm tall on the smallest branchlets or pinnules; and cylindrical, simple, forked or antler-like spines on the larger branches and stem. Genera are differentiated on the basis of morphological features of the corallum. Myriopathes gen. nov., type species Antipathes myriophylla Pallas, has two rows of primary pinnules, and uniserially arranged secondary pinnules. Tanacetipathes Opresko, type species T. tanacetum (Pourtalès), has bottle-brush... |
