“Xenogorgia gen. nov.
Diagnosis. — Chrysogorgiids forming colonies in bottle-brush form, the secondary branches arising from the main axis in an irregular manner; branchlets arising from the secondary branches in an irregular lateral manner. Polyps cylindrical, on all sides of branches and branchlets. Axis smooth, translucent, weakly calcified; basal holdfast formed by a small expansion of the trunk.
Description. — The main stem, undivided or with one or two strong primary branches, gives rise on all sides to numerous short branches bearing smaller lateral branchlets, resulting in a bottle-brush growth form. Polyps cylindrical, scattered, on all sides of the branches and branchlets. Sclerites in the form of thin, oval scales, often with a slight median constriction, with extremely fine surface texture scarcely visible with the light microscope. Axis smooth, translucent, amber colored in the thicker parts, faintly yellowish in the fine branchlets, only weakly calcified; basal attachment a small expansion of the trunk, marginally calcified, fastened to solid objects.
Type-species. — Xenogorgia sciurus spec. nov., here designated.
Etymology. — From Greek ξένος, strange, foreign + gorgia.”
(Bayer & Muzik, 1976)
