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The deep-water gorgonian Radicipes gracilis is a distinctly cold-water animal.
Most gorgonians are restricted to hard bottoms, with the exception of some Isididae and Chrysogorgiidae species such as Isidella lofotensis, Acanella arbuscula and Radicipes gracilis, which cling to sandy and muddy bottoms with root-like adhesive fibers and form dense populations.
Under optimal conditions without disturbance from deep-sea trawls and sufficient plankton, the gorgonian can live 50-100 years.
Photos of the species have shown it associating with crustaceans and polychaete.
Colonies are golden in color, stiff, and reach up to 90 cm in height.
Young colonies brittle and iridescent, retaining fibers are calcareous, abundantly branched,
At least a quarter of the lower part of the colony is free of polyps, the distance between polyps is about 1.5 mm in the proximal part to 10.0 mm in the distal part.
The individual polyps grow to 2.5mm - 5.0 mm in length.
The colonies of Radicipes gracilis differ from the Atlantic species Radicipes challengeri and Radicipes kopelatos by larger polyps and by a body wall densely filled with sclerites.
The Pacific species Radicipes stonei has a similar polyp shape, but differs in having one or two long supporting rods in the lower ventral side, irregular flattened rods, and body wall rods with at least one flat tip.
Occurs especially on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge,
Synonyms:
Isis encrinus Linnaeus, 1758
Pennatula encrinus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Umbellaria groenlandica (Lamarck, 1801)
Umbellularia encrinus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Umbellularia groenlandica Lamarck, 1801
Vorticella encrinus Linnaeus, 1758 -
Synonyms:
Isis encrinus Linnaeus, 1758
Pennatula encrinus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Umbellaria groenlandica (Lamarck, 1801)
Umbellularia encrinus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Umbellularia groenlandica Lamarck, 1801
Vorticella encrinus Linnaeus, 1758 ·
Most gorgonians are restricted to hard bottoms, with the exception of some Isididae and Chrysogorgiidae species such as Isidella lofotensis, Acanella arbuscula and Radicipes gracilis, which cling to sandy and muddy bottoms with root-like adhesive fibers and form dense populations.
Under optimal conditions without disturbance from deep-sea trawls and sufficient plankton, the gorgonian can live 50-100 years.
Photos of the species have shown it associating with crustaceans and polychaete.
Colonies are golden in color, stiff, and reach up to 90 cm in height.
Young colonies brittle and iridescent, retaining fibers are calcareous, abundantly branched,
At least a quarter of the lower part of the colony is free of polyps, the distance between polyps is about 1.5 mm in the proximal part to 10.0 mm in the distal part.
The individual polyps grow to 2.5mm - 5.0 mm in length.
The colonies of Radicipes gracilis differ from the Atlantic species Radicipes challengeri and Radicipes kopelatos by larger polyps and by a body wall densely filled with sclerites.
The Pacific species Radicipes stonei has a similar polyp shape, but differs in having one or two long supporting rods in the lower ventral side, irregular flattened rods, and body wall rods with at least one flat tip.
Occurs especially on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge,
Synonyms:
Isis encrinus Linnaeus, 1758
Pennatula encrinus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Umbellaria groenlandica (Lamarck, 1801)
Umbellularia encrinus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Umbellularia groenlandica Lamarck, 1801
Vorticella encrinus Linnaeus, 1758 -
Synonyms:
Isis encrinus Linnaeus, 1758
Pennatula encrinus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Umbellaria groenlandica (Lamarck, 1801)
Umbellularia encrinus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Umbellularia groenlandica Lamarck, 1801
Vorticella encrinus Linnaeus, 1758 ·
