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New records of the genera Leptogorgia, pacifigorgia and Eugorgia (Octocorallia: Gorgoniidae) from Ecuador, with a description of a new species

Abstract:

New records of the genera Leptogorgia, Pacifigorgia and Eugorgia (Octocorallia: Gorgoniidae) on the coast of Ecuador are reported. These new records redefine the current known limit of distribution of these species on the eastern Pacific coast (from southern California to Chile). Some of these species are reported for the first time since their original description. The newly collected specimens allow for the measurement of the variability of several morphological characters, from colonial to sclerite levels. Additionally, Pacifigorgia machalilla n. sp. is described and compared with its closest relatives. Morphological differentiation among related species is supported by genetic divergence estimated from an extended barcode of MutS + Igr + COI.