Acanthopathes undulata
| Acanthopathes undulata | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Cnidaria |
| Subphylum: | Anthozoa |
| Class: | Hexacorallia |
| Order: | Antipatharia |
| Family: | Aphanipathidae |
| Genus: | Acanthopathes |
| Species: | A. undulata |
| Binomial name | |
| Acanthopathes undulata van Pesch, 1914 | |
Acanthopathes undulata, also called black coral, is a species of marine animal under the phylum Cnidaria, making it closely related to other corals, sea anemones, and jellyfish.[1] Acanthopathes undulata belongs to the Anthozoa subphylum. The class Hexacorallia and the order Antipatharia.[2] Antipatharia is commonly used in jewelry and for various medicinal applications.[3]
Description
Acanthopathes undulata is found in the Indo-Pacific, specifically in the Hawaiian Archipelago and the Mariana Islands.[4][5][6] Acanthopathes undulata exists at depths ranging from 30 to 269 meters in Hawaiian waters and 115 to 146 meters in the Mariana Islands.[4][7] Black corals have a proteinaceous, dark skeleton called antipathin.[8]
Black corals are known for being reliable indicators to monitor ocean health and ecosystem changes. Because of their importance in the structure of deep-sea reefs, black corals are vital in promoting biodiversity in deep-sea environments.[7][8]
Taxonomy and classification
Acanthopathes undulata was first described by Adrianus Jacobus van Pesch in 1914.[2] Acanthopathes undulata was originally placed in the genus Antipathes (Aphanipathes) but was later moved to the genus Acanthopathes within the family Aphanpathidae.[2][9][10] Acanthopathes undulata is most closely related to A. humilis, A. somervillei, and A. thyoides.[9]
Morphology
Acanthopathes undulata consists of a branching, fan-shaped colony of animals that can grow up to 0.5 meters in height.[1][10][11] The branching consists of short, distally curved branchlets with terminal branches around 0.5 centimeters. Branching can be uniserial or bilateral, and polyp development can occur on both sides.[11]
Acanthopathes undulata skeletons are dark and proteinaceous rather than composed of calcium carbonate.[3] Their skeletons consist of short, slender spines that are unequal in size.[11] The skeleton of Acanthopathes polypar spines that are larger in size than the abpolypar spines. Polypar spines are specially designed skeletal structures of the order Antipatharia that are located on the same side of the branch as its polyps.[11]
The polyps of Acanthopathes undulata are radially symmetrical and 0.5 to 1.0 millimeters in diameter. The polyps are arranged in a single row and possess six non-retractile tentacles. Polyps are spaced about 1.26 millimeters and distributed at 8 polyps per centimeter.[1]
Acanthopathes undulata feeds by gathering plankton from its surrounding water.[12] The shape of the coral maximized surface area to gather as much food as possible in low-light environments.[8] Acanthopathes undulata tend to live on hard substrates and are adapted to thrive in highly specific currents to support their feeding strategy.[12] While Acanthopathes undulata possesses algal symbionts, it does not rely solely on symbiotic algae for energy.[13]
Distribution and habitat
Acanthopathes undulata was originally described in Indonesia at a depth of 113 meters, but is now found in the Indian and Pacific oceans, near the Hawaiian, Mariana, and Daito Islands.[4][5][6][14] Acanthopathes undulata are benthic deep-sea invertebrates living at depths between 30 and 269 meters in the Hawaiian Archipelago.[4][7] In the Mariana Islands, Acanthopathes undulata lives at depths between 115 and 146 meters.[5][7]
Acanthopathes undulata are preyed upon by specific gastropods and sea turtles. Chelonia mydas, the Green sea turtle, is one of the species known to consume antipatharians.[6] Because Acanthopathes undulata is consumed by few animals, it experiences low levels of predation.[6]
Acanthopathes undulata is crucial to the ecosystems of deep-reef environments in the Indo-Pacific.[7][8] The organism serves as a foundation for communities of marine invertebrates and fish. Their role in habitat and structure with deep-sea reefs promotes biodiversity in this region. The depths at which Acanthopathes undulata thrives can be dangerous for divers to explore and take collections from, so these regions are often not studied.[7] Acanthopathes undulata also serves as an important example for taxonomic distinctions, such as antipathin, the rigid chitin skeletons of black corals.[3] Acanthopathes undulata are highly sensitive to disturbance, making them notable indicators of environmental changes and the impacts of human activities.[8]
References
- 1 2 3 Wagner, Daniel; Luck, Daniel G.; Toonen, Robert J. (1 January 2012). "The Biology and Ecology of Black Corals (Cnidaria: Anthozoa: Hexacorallia: Antipatharia)". Advances in Marine Biology Volume 63. Vol. 63. Academic Press. pp. 67–132. doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-394282-1.00002-8. ISBN 978-0-12-394282-1. PMID 22877611. Retrieved 30 April 2026.
- 1 2 3 Opresko, D. M. (2004). "Revision of the Antipatharia (Cnidaria: Anthozoa). Part IV". Zoologische Mededelingen. 78: 209–240.
- 1 2 3 Ehrlich, Hermann (2019). "Antipathin". Marine Biological Materials of Invertebrate Origin. Biologically-Inspired Systems. Vol. 13. Cham: Springer International Publishing. pp. 185–192. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-92483-0_13. ISBN 978-3-319-92482-3.
- 1 2 3 4 Wagner, Daniel (2015). "The spatial distribution of shallow-water (". Marine Biodiversity Records. 8. doi:10.1017/S1755267215000202 (inactive 30 April 2026). ISSN 1755-2672.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of April 2026 (link) - 1 2 3 Kelley, C. D.; Hourigan, T. F.; Bingo, S.; Putts, M.; Cairns, S. D. (2021). Preliminary List of Deep-Sea Coral Taxa in the US Mariana Archipelago (v. 2021) (Report). U.S. Department of Commerce. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and National Marine Fisheries Service – via ResearchGate.
- 1 2 3 4 Parrish, Frank A.; Baco, Amy R. (October 2007). "State of deep coral ecosystems in the US Pacific Islands region: Hawaii and the US Pacific Territories.". In Lumsden, S. Elizabeth; Hourigan, Thomas F.; Bruckner, Andrew W.; Dorr, Gabrielle (eds.). The State of Deep Coral Ecosystems of the United States: 2007 (PDF). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. pp. 155–194.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Parrish, F. A., Baco-Taylor, A., Kelley, C., Cairns, S. D., & Hourigan, T. F. (2017). Deep-Sea Coral Taxa in the Hawaiian Archipelago and other US Pacific Islands: depth and geographical distribution.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Kahng, Samuel E.; Akkaynak, Derya; Shlesinger, Tom; Hochberg, Eric J.; Wiedenmann, Jörg; Tamir, Raz; Tchernov, Dan (2019), "Light, Temperature, Photosynthesis, Heterotrophy, and the Lower Depth Limits of Mesophotic Coral Ecosystems", in Loya, Yossi; Puglise, Kimberly A.; Bridge, Tom C.L. (eds.), Mesophotic Coral Ecosystems, Cham: Springer International Publishing, pp. 801–828, doi:10.1007/978-3-319-92735-0_42, ISBN 978-3-319-92735-0, retrieved 30 April 2026
- 1 2 Opresko, Dennis M. (September 2024). "New species of black corals (Cnidaria: Anthozoa: Antipatharia) from the New Zealand region, part 3". New Zealand Journal of Zoology. 51 (3–4): 351–380. doi:10.1080/03014223.2023.2274837. ISSN 0301-4223.
- 1 2 Wagner, Daniel (13 May 2015). "A taxonomic survey of the shallow-water (". Frontiers in Marine Science. 2. doi:10.3389/fmars.2015.00024. ISSN 2296-7745.
- 1 2 3 4 Opresko, Dennis; Tracey, Di; Mackay, Erika (2014). Antipatharia (Black Corals) for the New Zealand Region. Wellington: Ministry for Primary Industries. ISBN 978-0-478-43262-6.
- 1 2 Wagner, Daniel (December 2011). The biology and ecology of Hawaiian black corals (Cnidaria: Anthozoa: Hexacorallia: Antipatharia) (PDF) (PhD thesis). Honolulu: University of Hawaii. Retrieved 30 April 2026.
- ↑ Wagner, Daniel; Pochon, Xavier; Irwin, Leslie; Toonen, Robert J.; Gates, Ruth D. (7 May 2011). "Azooxanthellate? Most Hawaiian black corals contain Symbiodinium". Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 278 (1710): 1323–1328. Bibcode:2011PBioS.278.1323W. doi:10.1098/rspb.2010.1681. ISSN 0962-8452. PMC 3061131. PMID 20961904.
- ↑ Bacharo, Kurt Bryant B.; Villareal, Kylie; Kise, Hiroki; Sentoku, Asuka; Yokooka, Hiroyuki; Tsuchida, Shinji; Fujiwara, Yoshihiro; Reimer, James Davis (January 2025). "Records of some deep-sea corals (Antipatharia and Octocorallia) from the Daito Islands, Okinawa, Japan". Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. 105 e127. Bibcode:2025JMBUK.105.e127B. doi:10.1017/S0025315425100817. ISSN 0025-3154.