taxonID	type	description	language	source
03B40C78FFF4FFB8FF30FB94FCE6B5DE.taxon	description	(Figs 3 – 5)	en	Terrana, L., Rouzé, H., Opresko, D. M., Consortium, Under The Pole, Eeckhaut, I., Dubois, P., Hédouin, L., Godefroid, M. (2024): Whip black corals (Antipatharia: Antipathidae: Stichopathes) of the Mesophotic Coral Ecosystem of Mo’orea (French Polynesia), with the description of a new species. Zootaxa 5486 (2): 182-212, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5486.2.2, URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5486.2.2
03B40C78FFF4FFB8FF30FB94FCE6B5DE.taxon	materials_examined	Material examined. Entire colonies collected at 120 m depth. Holotype: NHMT-R 2 E 1001. Paratypes: NHMT-R 2 E 1002; NHMT-R 2 E 1003. Other specimens (colony pictures and genetics only, examined in the field by M. Godefroid): Stichopathes C 38, Stichopathes C 39, Stichopathes C 41, Stichopathes C 42.	en	Terrana, L., Rouzé, H., Opresko, D. M., Consortium, Under The Pole, Eeckhaut, I., Dubois, P., Hédouin, L., Godefroid, M. (2024): Whip black corals (Antipatharia: Antipathidae: Stichopathes) of the Mesophotic Coral Ecosystem of Mo’orea (French Polynesia), with the description of a new species. Zootaxa 5486 (2): 182-212, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5486.2.2, URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5486.2.2
03B40C78FFF4FFB8FF30FB94FCE6B5DE.taxon	distribution	Type locality. Mo’orea, French Polynesia, 120 m depth.	en	Terrana, L., Rouzé, H., Opresko, D. M., Consortium, Under The Pole, Eeckhaut, I., Dubois, P., Hédouin, L., Godefroid, M. (2024): Whip black corals (Antipatharia: Antipathidae: Stichopathes) of the Mesophotic Coral Ecosystem of Mo’orea (French Polynesia), with the description of a new species. Zootaxa 5486 (2): 182-212, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5486.2.2, URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5486.2.2
03B40C78FFF4FFB8FF30FB94FCE6B5DE.taxon	diagnosis	Diagnosis. Corallum unbranched, irregularly sinuous, basal diameter not exceeding 1 mm, reaching a dozen of cm in height, polyps 0.50 – 1.0 mm in transverse diameter, interpolypar space well defined up to 0.50 mm, 6 – 8 polyps per cm, polypar spines taller than abpolypar spines, polypar spines max 0.13 mm, perpendicular to corallum, conical, pointed tip, with round and / or elongated papillae on two thirds of the spine, abpolypar spines conical to triangular, inclined upwards, with the same ornamentation as the polypar spines.	en	Terrana, L., Rouzé, H., Opresko, D. M., Consortium, Under The Pole, Eeckhaut, I., Dubois, P., Hédouin, L., Godefroid, M. (2024): Whip black corals (Antipatharia: Antipathidae: Stichopathes) of the Mesophotic Coral Ecosystem of Mo’orea (French Polynesia), with the description of a new species. Zootaxa 5486 (2): 182-212, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5486.2.2, URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5486.2.2
03B40C78FFF4FFB8FF30FB94FCE6B5DE.taxon	description	Description of the holotype NHMT-R 2 E 1001. Thin skeleton 0.38 mm in basal diameter, distinctly tapering at the apex (0.21 mm in diameter at the terminal section). It is sinuous, irregularly contorted, but not forming any loop or coil (Fig. 3, a). It measures ~ 22 cm in length and ~ 10 cm in height (Fig. 3, a). The polyps are found in a single row, that can twist around the corallum (Fig. 3, h – j). They measure 0.6 – 0.84 mm in transverse diameter, with 6 – 8 polyps / cm. When expanded, sagittal tentacles are long, almost transparent, and longer than the diameter of the corallum (Fig. 3, i, j). Smaller polyps are sometimes inserted between two larger ones (Fig. 3, i). Interpolypar space well defined 0.15 – 0.48 mm, on average 0.30 ± 0.08 mm (Fig. 3, h). The spines along the corallum are all triangular on the abpolypar sides to conical on the polypar sides, the latter being taller (Fig. 4, a – c). On growing sections of corallum, the spines tend to be laterally compressed (Fig. 4, c). On every section, a spiral arrangement of the spines can be seen (Fig. 4). There are no secondary spines on any section (Fig. 4). There are 4 spines / mm in the apical and middle sections, and 7 spines / mm in the basal sections. In the latter, the spines measure 0.08 – 0.10 mm and have both rounded and elongated papillae on their surface (Fig. 5, a). In the middle section, polypar spines are conical with a pointed tip, slightly compressed laterally, and stand almost perpendicular to the corallum (Fig. 4, b; Fig. 5, b). Papillae are both rounded and elongated towards the tip of the spine, covering from two thirds of the spine to the whole surface. In some places they form small tubercles (Fig. 5, b). They measure 0.08 – 0.10 mm and are spaced 0.28 – 0.37 mm apart (Fig. 4, b; Fig. 5, b). The abpolypar spines are smaller and more conical than polypar spines. They are slightly inclined towards the apex of the corallum (Fig. 4, b). They have the same ornamentation than polypar spines (Fig. 5, e). They measure 0.05 – 0.07 mm and are spaced 0.24 – 0.37 mm apart. In the apical sections, the distal edge of the spines is slightly curved compared to middle and basal sections (Fig. 4, c; Fig. 5, c, f), but they have the same ornamentation as those on the rest of the corallum. Large, round papillae are not totally protruding on some spines (Fig. 5, c, f). The spines on the apical section measure 0.05 – 0.07 mm. Description of the paratypes. Specimen NHMT-R 2 E 1002 irregularly sinuous and contorted, 9 cm in height, basal diameter 0.43 mm, apical diameter 0.19 mm (Fig. 3, d). Polyps 0.58 – 1.0 mm in transverse diameter, 7 – 8 per cm. Spine ornamentation, shape and sizes are similar to holotype, with 4 spines / mm in apical, middle and basal sections. Specimen NHMT-R 2 E 1003 irregularly sinuous and contorted, 12 cm in height, basal diameter 0.72 mm, apical diameter 0.14 mm (Fig. 3, g). Polyps 0.51 – 0.58 mm in transverse diameter, 7 – 8 per cm. Spine ornamentation, shape and size mostly similar to holotype. However, basal spines just above the anchorage plate are pointed and spike-like (Fig. 4, d). Abpolypar spines are smaller than polypar spines, triangular and inclined upwards. In the middle section of the stem, they measure 0.04 – 0.05 mm and are spaced 0.30 – 0.38 mm apart (Fig. 4, e – f). In medial sections, polypar spines measure 0.11 – 0.13 mm (Fig. 4, e – f). There are 4 spines / mm in apical and middle sections, and 5 – 6 spines / mm in basal section.	en	Terrana, L., Rouzé, H., Opresko, D. M., Consortium, Under The Pole, Eeckhaut, I., Dubois, P., Hédouin, L., Godefroid, M. (2024): Whip black corals (Antipatharia: Antipathidae: Stichopathes) of the Mesophotic Coral Ecosystem of Mo’orea (French Polynesia), with the description of a new species. Zootaxa 5486 (2): 182-212, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5486.2.2, URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5486.2.2
03B40C78FFF4FFB8FF30FB94FCE6B5DE.taxon	discussion	Taxonomic discussion. Based on ITS 1 molecular data, the present species belongs to “ Stichopathes Clade A ” as described by Bo et al. (2012), and comprising species collected in Indonesia at depths of 10 – 50 m. The genetic distance from the Indonesian specimen AMBA 5 is within the intraspecific range of variability of Mo’orea specimens, suggesting that AMBA 5 might be related to the present species. The morphological features of the French Polynesian specimens closely match those described for the Indonesian specimens of Clade A. The clade is characterized by a thin spiral or contorted corallum with a diameter less than 1 mm (Bo et al. 2012); in the Mo’orea specimens it does not exceed 0.72 mm at the base. None of the Mo’orea specimens have spirals, they all are irregularly sinuous, sometimes irregularly contorted as well. The polyps are small (0.5 – 0.6 mm for Indonesian specimens of Clade A, 0.5 – 1.0 mm for the Mo’orea specimens), with a well-defined interpolypar space (0.3 – 0.4 mm for Clade A, 0.15 – 0.5 mm here), with 7 – 8 polyps per cm, compared to 6 – 8 polyps per centimeter in this case. Indonesian specimens of Clade A have pointed triangular spines, laterally compressed, taller on the polypar side (0.2 – 0.25 mm) than the abpolypar side (0.05 – 0.1 mm). This is congruent with the spines analyzed here in Mo’orea specimens, which are slightly laterally compressed in the middle sections, but clearly laterally compressed in apical sections. Nonetheless, the spine sizes observed here are smaller than those reported for the Indonesian specimens of Clade A. The papillae for Indonesian specimens of Clade A are reported being sometimes in the form of marked rounded ridges, and homogeneously distributed on their surface, which corresponds to the ornamentation of the spines observed here in Mo’orea specimens; except that in the middle section, the papillae of the latter specimens are much more developed so that sometimes they almost form tubercles. No secondary spines are observed in any case. Both morphological and genetic evidence confirms that the present species is closely related to Antipathes grandis Verrill, 1928 (Wagner et al. 2010; Gress et al. 2020). A. grandis has been described as having similar triangular spines, with rounded tubercles on their surface (Gress et al. 2020). Among described species of Stichopathes, four species have been reported to have a thin corallum with triangular and papillose spines: S. contorta Thomson & Simpson, 1905 (originally from Ceylon); S. echinulata Brook, 1889 (originally from Mauritius, Fig. 6, a – c); S. occidentalis (Gray, 1860) (originally from the West Indies, Fig. 6, e), and S. variabilis van Pesch, 1914 (originally from the Indonesian islands, see Fig. 6, d and explanation of the type hereafter). Stichopathes contorta differs from the present specimens by having only slightly papillose spines with some having apical notches (Thomson & Simpson 1905; unpublished observations of DMO, see taxonomic discussion of S. cf. contorta below), whereas they are clearly defined and almost tuberculated here and never notched. The type specimen of S. echinulata located in Natural History Museum (London, BM 82.2.21.5, NHMUK) is reported as having a basal diameter of 2.5 mm, which is substantially larger than that of the Polynesian specimens. The spines are reported as being short, triangular, compressed, directed upwards, and arranged in spirals, but no mention is made about the ornamentation, except that they are similar to S. occidentalis. A reexamination of both a schizotype of S. echinulata (USNM 100371 from holotype BM 82.2.21.5) and a schizotype of S. occidentalis (USNM 100386), as well as the description of S. occidentalis provided by Wagner et al. (2010) shows that the spine ornamentation is different between these species. The spines of S. echinulata are finely papillose, with minute papillae mostly elongated towards the tip of the spine (Fig. 6, c), while those of S. occidentalis have papillae well formed, almost tuberculated (Fig. 6, d and Wagner et al. 2010). Stichopathes occidentalis is recorded from the Atlantic Ocean and usually grows vertically (Cordeiro et al. 2012; Sanchez et al. 2019). Finally, among the almost 200 specimens that van Pesch (1914) assigned to the species Stichopathes variabilis in five “ varieties ”, some colonies were reported to be irregularly sinuous with triangular papillose spines. It should be noted than Van Pesch (1914) stated that S. variabilis was a new name for the specimen that Silberfeld (1909) identified as S. filiformis (Gray) (Fig. 6, d). Within the five varieties that van Pesch described, none of them is identified as Stichopathes variabilis variabilis nor Stichopathes variabilis typica. Therefore, it is likely that the original specimen that Silberfeld (1909) identified as S. filiformis (Gray, 1868) must be considered as the type of S. variabilis variabilis (Fig. 6, d). Among the varieties described by van Pesch (1914) as having conical to triangular and papillose spines are the specimens belonging to “ Stichopathes variabilis var. asperispina ”. A total of 82 specimens were assigned to this name and were collected from 15 meters down to 567 meters depth (van Pesch 1914) in Indonesian waters. Some are reported to be thin and irregularly sinuous. Van Pesch (1914) divided the variety asperispina into six groups depending on the collection site (see Table 2 for a comparison of the morphological traits of S. variabilis var. asperispina). It is probable that the specimens included in this species and variety belong to different species, and that dredged fragments coming from different genera of branched species might have been misidentified as Stichopathes because the polyps were found in a single row. He reported that all the specimens assigned to this variety showed a great variability in their polyp morphology, which is now considered as an identification criterion for antipatharians. He stated that “ The very diverging shape of the polyps is the best proof how cautious one should be in making use of the polypar structure and dimension as specific or even generic differences ” (van Pesch 1914), meaning that he did not take into account such polyp differences to separate species. Another example is the observation of very tall, papillose, needle-like spines in some specimens (van Pesch 1914, Figs. 199 – 120) along with antler-like spines (van Pesch 1914, Figs. 168, 171) which are usually found within myriopathids. Considering the large discrepancies between polypar spine size and shape, the polyp and tentacle size and shape, as well as the large depth distribution of the specimens, one cannot be confident with the identification of S. variabilis pending a careful reexamination of all of van Pesch’ specimens. The only molecular data available to date for specimens presumably identified as S. variabilis by Miller et al. (2010) do not confirm a close relationship to S. desaturata. In conclusion, the Stichopathes species most closely related to the French Polynesian specimens to date is S. occidentalis, but the differences in the growth pattern of the corallum and ornamentation of the spines do not allow the inclusion of the present specimens into this species.	en	Terrana, L., Rouzé, H., Opresko, D. M., Consortium, Under The Pole, Eeckhaut, I., Dubois, P., Hédouin, L., Godefroid, M. (2024): Whip black corals (Antipatharia: Antipathidae: Stichopathes) of the Mesophotic Coral Ecosystem of Mo’orea (French Polynesia), with the description of a new species. Zootaxa 5486 (2): 182-212, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5486.2.2, URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5486.2.2
03B40C78FFF4FFB8FF30FB94FCE6B5DE.taxon	etymology	Etymology. The name is derived from the Latin saturo, meaning saturated, and the prefix de-, the negation, in reference to the hours of decompression stops that the technical divers had to do when the holotype was collected at 120 m depth during the scientific expedition of Under the Pole.	en	Terrana, L., Rouzé, H., Opresko, D. M., Consortium, Under The Pole, Eeckhaut, I., Dubois, P., Hédouin, L., Godefroid, M. (2024): Whip black corals (Antipatharia: Antipathidae: Stichopathes) of the Mesophotic Coral Ecosystem of Mo’orea (French Polynesia), with the description of a new species. Zootaxa 5486 (2): 182-212, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5486.2.2, URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5486.2.2
03B40C78FFFEFFA2FF30F9D5FD21B71E.taxon	description	(Figs. 7 – 9)	en	Terrana, L., Rouzé, H., Opresko, D. M., Consortium, Under The Pole, Eeckhaut, I., Dubois, P., Hédouin, L., Godefroid, M. (2024): Whip black corals (Antipatharia: Antipathidae: Stichopathes) of the Mesophotic Coral Ecosystem of Mo’orea (French Polynesia), with the description of a new species. Zootaxa 5486 (2): 182-212, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5486.2.2, URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5486.2.2
03B40C78FFFEFFA2FF30F9D5FD21B71E.taxon	materials_examined	Material examined. Entire colonies collected between 70 and 100 m depth. Specimens NHMT-R 2 E 1005; NHMT-R 2 E 1004; NHMT-R 2 E 1006.	en	Terrana, L., Rouzé, H., Opresko, D. M., Consortium, Under The Pole, Eeckhaut, I., Dubois, P., Hédouin, L., Godefroid, M. (2024): Whip black corals (Antipatharia: Antipathidae: Stichopathes) of the Mesophotic Coral Ecosystem of Mo’orea (French Polynesia), with the description of a new species. Zootaxa 5486 (2): 182-212, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5486.2.2, URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5486.2.2
03B40C78FFFEFFA2FF30F9D5FD21B71E.taxon	distribution	Type locality. “ From off Galle and onwards up West Coast of Ceylon ” (Thomson & Simpson, 1905).	en	Terrana, L., Rouzé, H., Opresko, D. M., Consortium, Under The Pole, Eeckhaut, I., Dubois, P., Hédouin, L., Godefroid, M. (2024): Whip black corals (Antipatharia: Antipathidae: Stichopathes) of the Mesophotic Coral Ecosystem of Mo’orea (French Polynesia), with the description of a new species. Zootaxa 5486 (2): 182-212, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5486.2.2, URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5486.2.2
03B40C78FFFEFFA2FF30F9D5FD21B71E.taxon	description	Description of Mo’orea specimens. Specimen NHMT-R 2 E 1005 has a thin skeleton, 1 mm in basal diameter, 0.52 mm at the apex. Corallum is contorted in a well-defined pattern, not forming any defined loop nor coil (Fig. 7, a – b). It is 84 cm in length, 34 cm in height (Fig. 7, a – b). The polyps in a single row, 7 – 9 per centimeter, they twist around the corallum. They measure 0.91 – 1.18 mm in transverse diameter and are spaced 0.37 – 0.80 mm apart. The spines along the corallum vary from triangular to conical, either with an acute or a bifid / notched tip, more often blunt on middle parts. There are 7 – 8 longitudinal rows seen from one aspect. In basal and apical parts the arrangement tends to be irregular (Figs. 8, 9). Density of spines is 2 / mm (apical), 3 / mm (middle) and 3 – 6 / mm (basal). There are no secondary spines on any section (Fig. 8). On basal sections, spines are small, triangular to conicalThey have an acute or bifid tip, with rounded papillae and / or papillae elongated towards the tip of the spine, generally on the upper half of their surface. They measure 0.07 – 0.14 mm and are spaced 0.27 – 0.64 mm apart. A polypar side cannot be clearly defined, as the coenenchyma on the basal section often lacks polyps. In the middle section, Polypar spines measure 0.08 – 0.14 mm and are spaced 0.45 – 0.66 mm apart (Fig. 9, b, e). They are conical, and mostly simple, sometimes bifid (or notched), with rounded papillae on the whole surfacesometimes elongated to the point that they almost form ridges (Fig. 9, b, e). Abpolypar spines are smaller and more triangular, almost always with a simple tip, with the same ornamentation as the polypar spines (Fig. 9, h). They measure 0.06 – 0.09 mm and are spaced 0.36 – 0.61 mm apart (Fig. 9, h). On the growing portions of the apical parts, the spines tend to be laterally compressed (Fig. 10, c, f, i). The polypar apical spines are conical either simple or bifid, with narrow elongated papillae on two thirds or the entire surface of the spine (Fig. 8, c). They measure up to 0.14 mm, while abpolypar spines measure up to 0.09 mm. The latter are triangular and tend to have less papillae on their surface (Fig. 9, i). Other specimens referred to S. cf. contorta: Specimen NHMT-R 2 E 1004 thin, regularly contorted (Fig. 7). Basal, middle and apical diameters are 0.93 mm, 0.79 mm, and 0.26 mm, respectively. Colony length 44 cm, height 8 cm. Polyps 0.91 – 0.96 mm in diameter, spaced 0.3 – 0.5 mm apart, with 6 – 8 polyps / cm. Specimen NHMT-R 2 E 1006 thin, regularly contorted (Fig. 7). Basal, middle and apical diameters are 0.76 mm, 0.68 mm, and 0.27 mm, respectively. Colony length 60 cm, height 18 cm. Polyps measure 0.91 – 1.18 mm spaced 0.25 – 0.60 mm apart. There are 6 – 8 polyps / cm. Both specimens have the same spine shape and ornamentation than NHMT-R 2 E 1005 and sizes falls within the same range as previously described. They have 3 – 4 spines / mm in the apical section, 2 – 3 spines / mm in the middle section, and 2 – 4 spines in the basal section.	en	Terrana, L., Rouzé, H., Opresko, D. M., Consortium, Under The Pole, Eeckhaut, I., Dubois, P., Hédouin, L., Godefroid, M. (2024): Whip black corals (Antipatharia: Antipathidae: Stichopathes) of the Mesophotic Coral Ecosystem of Mo’orea (French Polynesia), with the description of a new species. Zootaxa 5486 (2): 182-212, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5486.2.2, URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5486.2.2
03B40C78FFFEFFA2FF30F9D5FD21B71E.taxon	discussion	Taxonomic discussion. Based on ITS 1 molecular data, this species groups within Clade B as described by Bo et al. (2012). Clade B of Bo et al. (2012) was originally characterized by colonies having thick stems (more than 1 mm in the apical portion), triangular-conical spines with small papillae or tubercles, and in some cases by small secondary spines. Spines on some colonies may have apical tubercles, which at times may be completely lacking. The Indonesian specimens BUK 11 and INDO 19, which grouped with the Polynesian specimen S. cf. contorta, are described as having a thick corallum with convolutions mostly flat and meandritic, the absence of a significant number of secondary spines, and large polypar spines (up to 0.42 mm high) with only a few apical tubercles and basal papillae (apical tubercles are seen in Fig. 3, k – p in Bo et al. 2012). The polyps in Indonesian specimens measure 1.0 – 1.4 mm and 6 – 7 are found per cm. This difference may be due to the presence of young, small polyps in some parts of the colony, increasing the polyp density. The Polynesian specimens share the spine shape and ornamentation with the Indonesian specimens, and the inclusion of the Mo’orea specimens within Clade B extends its general morphological characteristics. Spines are different from those of S. desaturata sp. nov. by sometimes being notched at the tip or by having multiple apical lobes. In the nominal species described to date, only a limited number are characterized by a thin, sinuous / contorted corallum, with conical, papillose spines having simple or multiple tips. One is the species S. pourtalesi, recently redescribed, which has spines different in their ornamentation and shape from the present specimens (Bo & Opresko 2015). The species Stichopathes semiglabra van Pesch, 1914, (55 – 94 m in Indonesia), is reported as having a very thin skeleton, only 0.1 mm at the base, then up to 0.54 mm upwards and forming three coils. The shape of the corallum is not comparable to the present specimens. The sizes and mutual distance of spines reported for the present specimens fall in the range of S. semiglabra, but in the latter they are described as blunt, conical, slightly inclined, smooth or papillose: here, they are never found smooth. The interpolypar distance reported by van Pesch is 1.7 – 1.8 mm, but he measured it from the base of the sagittal tentacles of one polyp to the base of the sagittal tentacles of the adjacent polyp, which is not truly an interpolypar distance (generally measured from the distal edge of the distal lateral tentacle of one polyp to the proximal edge of the proximal lateral tentacle of the adjacent polyp). Based on his Figure 193 (van Pesch, 1914), the transverse diameter is about 1.07 mm, and the interpolypar space is about 1.4 mm, but this is for preserved material where the polyps are likely to be very contracted, thus making the interpolypar space larger. An example of polyp shape and size variation is given in Fig. 10, where the same polyps are shown in situ, freshly sampled, and after a few months of storage in 70 % ethanol, drawing attention to the effects of storage on polyp morphometrics. The species Stichopathes variabilis var. asperina has specimens morphologically similar to Mo’orea specimens of S. cf. contorta (see Table 2 for morphological details). The presence of “ abnormal types of spines ” referring to double spines growing behind each other in the same longitudinal row is reported, as well as young spines on the top of the colonies which “ are furnished with two or three tops [...] usually smooth ” (van Pesch 1914, Figs. 126 – 128). The drawings of van Pesch do not represent notched spines as seen here in S. cf. contorta nor are they reported as frequently occurring in middle sections of the corallum, as it is the case here in the Mo’orea specimens. Pending an extensive revision of S. variabilis, a confident comparison cannot be made. The only molecular data available to date for specimens presumably identified as S. variabilis by Miller et al. (2010) do not confirm a close relationship to the specimens here referred to S. cf. contorta. Lastly, S. contorta Thomson & Simpson, 1905, is the species that is the closest to the Mo’orea specimens. It has been described from Ceylon as having a “ very sinuous ” corallum not exceeding 1 mm in diameter (as seen in the Mo’orea specimens), with the spines reported to be “ slightly but distinctly papillose […] nearest S. lutkeni (BROOK) ”. Spines of S. luetkeni shown in Opresko & Sanchez (2005) are stout, blunt and papillose, and longer on polypar sides, which are different from those of the present specimen. Thomson & Simpson (1905) did not mention the presence of notched / multi-lobed spines nor their size. However, a reexamination of the type of S. contorta located in the Natural History Museum (London) (BM 1908.2.18.8) has shown that some of the spines presented notches at their tip and were slightly papillose, almost not distinct. Older descriptions might have reported that the spines were smooth and / or without any notches nor apical lobes, but sometimes very small papillae and even apical lobes might have been overlooked because the authors did not use adequate magnification or did not look along enough parts of the axis. The polyps of the type of S. contorta measure 1 mm in transverse diameter, with 5 – 6 per cm (here polyps 0.9 – 1.2 mm in diameter, 6 – 9 per centimeter). Due to these similarities, the name Stichopathes cf. contorta is assigned to the present specimens.	en	Terrana, L., Rouzé, H., Opresko, D. M., Consortium, Under The Pole, Eeckhaut, I., Dubois, P., Hédouin, L., Godefroid, M. (2024): Whip black corals (Antipatharia: Antipathidae: Stichopathes) of the Mesophotic Coral Ecosystem of Mo’orea (French Polynesia), with the description of a new species. Zootaxa 5486 (2): 182-212, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5486.2.2, URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5486.2.2
