The Global Diversity of Sea Pens (Cnidaria: Octocorallia: Pennatulacea)

摘要: Recent advances in deep-sea exploration technology coupled with an increase worldwide biotic surveys, biological research, and underwater photography shallow water marine regions such as coral reefs, has allowed for a relatively rapid expansion of our knowledge the global diversity many groups organisms. This paper is part PLoS ONE review collection WoRMS (the Worldwide Register Marine Species), on species, treats pennatulacean octocorals, group cnidarians commonly referred to sea pens or feathers. also includes pansies, some whips, various vermiform taxa. Pennatulaceans are morphologically diverse estimated 200 more valid displaying geographic bathymetric distributions from polar seas equatorial tropics intertidal flats over 6100 m depth. The new discoveries taxa science, provides greater resolution data than was previously known, well descriptions life appearances situ observations at