Revision of the Antipatharia (Cnidaria: Anthozoa). Part I. Establishment of a new family, Myriopathidae

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 pinnulation with four to six rows of primary pinnules and one or more orders of uniserial (sometimes biserial) subpinnules. Cupressopathes gen. nov., type species Gorgonia abies Linnaeus, has bottle-brush pinnulation with four very irregular, or quasi-spiral rows of primary pinnules and uniserial, bilateral, or irregularly arranged higher order pinnules. Plumapathes gen. nov., type species Antipathes pennacea Pallas, has simple pinnules arranged regularly in two rows. Antipathella Brook, type species Antipathes subpinnata Ellis and Solander, has simple branchlets/pinnules arranged irregularly in one to four rows.