Table 3 in Morphology and phylogenetic analysis of five deep-sea golden gorgonians (Cnidaria, Octocorallia, Chrysogorgiidae) in the Western Pacific Ocean, with the description of a new species

Table 3. The comparisons of the species (adults) in the genus Metallogorgia Versluys, 1902 and Pseudochrysogorgia bellona Pante & France, 2010.
Characters/ SpeciesM. macrospinaM. melanotrichosM. splendens *M. tenuisP. bellonaBranching partsympodialmonopodialunknownsympodial*monopodialBranchlets forming a sympodiumyesyesunknownNo*NoInterbranch distance (mm)5-18-unknown10-18*9.9-17.2Polyp height (mm)1-1.51.5-2.01.51.5-2.01.0-3.3Sclerites in tentaclesrodsrodsplatesspindlesrodsSclerites in body wallrodsrods and scalesrodsrods and spindlesrods and scalesSclerites with its shapes in coenenchymerods and scales elongated with slightly serrated edges and coarse surfacescales elongated with relatively smooth edges and surfacerods small, flattened, often with serrated edges and smooth surfacescales small, elongated, often with irregular shape and serrated edges.scales and plates with many ornamentationDendritic holdfastnonounknownnoyesReferenceKükenthal 1919, present studyWright and Studer 1889, Versluys 1902, Nutting 1908, Kükenthal 1919, Pasternak 1981, present studyVerrill 1883, Versluys 1902, Kükenthal 1919, Deichmann 1936Pasternak 1981Pante and France 2010, present study
*, putative species or questionable regarded by Watling et al. 2011.