Background The mitochondrial genome of the Octocorallia has several characteristics
atypical for metazoans, including a novel gene suggested to function in DNA repair. This …

The application of DNA barcoding to anthozoan cnidarians has been hindered by their slow
rates of mitochondrial gene evolution and the failure to identify alternative molecular …

The development of coalescent-based and other multilocus methods for species delimitation
has facilitated the identification of cryptic species complexes across the tree of life. A recent …

Abstract The status of Indo-Pacific Briareum species (Cnidaria, Octocorallia, Briareidae) is
reviewed by presenting their sclerite features and habitus descriptions. Following the re …

Abstract The Southern Ocean harbours rich deep-sea ecosystems with local hotspots of
benthic biodiversity. Still, many species, including deep-water octocorals, remain …

The primary problem hindering the study of octocorals is the disordered situation regarding
their taxonomy, chiefly caused by insufficient knowledge of valid morphological taxonomic …

The octocorals of the Ellisellidae constitute a diverse and widely distributed family with
subdivisions into genera based on colonial growth forms. Branching patterns are repeated …

Most gorgonian octocoral species are described using diagnostic characteristics of their
sclerites (microscopic skeletal components). Species in the genus Pterogorgia, however, are …

As the most northern ecoregion within the Tropical Northwestern Atlantic biogeographic
province, Bermuda's reef biodiversity is a reduced complement of that found within the other …

The ecological landscape of Caribbean reefs is rapidly changing as octocorals fill the void
left by declining scleractinian populations. Effective molecular barcodes are necessary to …