NOAA Okeanos Explorer
Info
Macroprimnoa ornata is a monotypic genus of deep-sea gorgonian known so far from the following deep-sea submarine mountains: Musicians Seamounts (north of the Hawaiiian Archipelago) Batfish Seamount (south of Wake), Enigma Seamount (south of Guam, near the Northern Mariana Islands).
The coral (holotyp) was collected off Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands.
The colonies are unbranched (flagellate), the holotype was an intact stem 8.7 cm high bearing 12 polyps.
A larger colony ( paratype) was estimated to be 27 cm high at the time of collection.
The polyps are arranged unilaterally on one side of the stem and are very widely spaced, with about 6 - 7 mm of twig coenenchyma between each polyp.
The polyps are perpendicular to the branch, 3.5 - 3.7 mm high, and have the shape of a squat cylinder with a conical operculum that accounts for a good half of the height.
Etymology. The species name "ornata" (Latin for "ornamented" or "decorated") is a reference to the somewhat ornate ribbing on the body wall scales of the gorgonian.
The coral (holotyp) was collected off Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands.
The colonies are unbranched (flagellate), the holotype was an intact stem 8.7 cm high bearing 12 polyps.
A larger colony ( paratype) was estimated to be 27 cm high at the time of collection.
The polyps are arranged unilaterally on one side of the stem and are very widely spaced, with about 6 - 7 mm of twig coenenchyma between each polyp.
The polyps are perpendicular to the branch, 3.5 - 3.7 mm high, and have the shape of a squat cylinder with a conical operculum that accounts for a good half of the height.
Etymology. The species name "ornata" (Latin for "ornamented" or "decorated") is a reference to the somewhat ornate ribbing on the body wall scales of the gorgonian.
