| Cervera atlantica, a small stoloniferan octocoral, was described as Cornularia atlantica by James Yate Johnson in 1861 from Funchal, Madeira. It then remained unrecognized until 1972 when I discovered it on the Mediterranean coast of Spain. I have since confirmed its existence at the type locality and have traced its distribution around Madeira, throughout the Canary Islands, and on Portuguese and English coasts. In the Mediterranean Sea, I have found it along Spanish and French coasts, among the Balearic Islands and on the coast of Cyprus. Cervera atlantica is cryptic and photophobic, living under stones in shallow water (usually at 0-2 m) or in crevices and caves in massive intertidal rocks, protected from direct sunlight. Intolerant of rough water, it... |
