A New Species of the Genus Eugorgia (Cnidaria: Octocorallia: Gorgoniidae) from Mesophotic Reefs in the Eastern Pacific

Researchers have identified a new species of octocoral, Eugorgia siedenburgae, from the mesophotic reefs off Coiba National Park and its Special Zone of Marine Protection. This discovery, made using submersible technology at Hannibal Bank—a seamount near Panama—highlights the biodiversity of understudied deep-reef environments (40–150 m). The species is distinguished by its bushy, multiplanar, bicolored colony and unique sclerite characteristics, expanding the known diversity of the genus Eugorgia to 13. The study employed morphological analysis and scanning electron microscopy to document this fragile yet critical component of mesophotic ecosystems.

Breedy, O., & Guzman, H. M. (2013). A New Species of the Genus Eugorgia (Cnidaria: Octocorallia: Gorgoniidae) from Mesophotic Reefs in the Eastern Pacific. Bulletin of Marine Science, 89(3), 735–743. https://doi.org/10.5343/bms.2013.1014