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Abyssopathes lyra, a deep-sea horn coral, was found in the following areas, among others, which were investigated with the help of an ROV:
- Mellish Seamount, North Pacific
- 600 km North of Puerto Rico
- Hatteras Abyssal Plain, North Carolina North Atlantic Ocean
- Ellsworth Land, Peter Island Antarctic Ocean
- East of Kermadec Ridge; SSE of Tonga South Pacific Ocean
- Mona Seamount Puerto Rico Caribbean Sea
Abyssopathes lyra is a small lyrate species with usually alternate lateral branches, the lower ones being very long and bent upwards towards the apex, and additionally with a row of short, spiny branches on the front, projecting at right angles to the stem and lateral branches.
The stem is slender, straight, tapering, a rich reddish brown near the base and gradually becoming yellowish towards the tip.
In one specimen, the stem is 115 cm long and has a thickening at the base through which it is attached to a small stone.
The main branches are lateral and alternate, except at the base where two are opposite, they are simple, elongated and fish-shaped and are initially almost at right angles to the trunk, but the angle gradually becomes smaller further up.
The lowest branches, a pair, arise about 13 cm from the base; the others arise alternately on the right and left side and are almost in the same plane.
Most of the main branches are ultimately bent inwards, reaching a point at the level of the stem tip.
The lower ones are 11.5 cm long, the others become shorter towards the tip, the youngest are only 2.4 cm long.
This specimen has a total of eighteen lateral branches, of which sixteen are alternate and the two basal ones are opposite.
In addition to the lateral branches, there is a row of short, simple, hairy branchlets on the front of the stem that run horizontally in a plane perpendicular to the plane occupied by the stem and the lateral branches. These are confined to the part of the stem that bears the lateral branches.
In the lower part they are about 6 mm apart and become narrower towards the middle of the stem, their average length is 6 mm.
The zooids are regular in size and almost equally spaced from the base to the tip of each branch, usually about 3 mm apart.
They resemble those of Bathypathes patula, but are smaller and have more flattened leaf-like tentacles in specimens in spirit.
A further and smaller specimen from a different locality agrees well with the one already described, with the first two lateral branches even being opposite instead of alternate, a feature that would otherwise have been considered coincidental.
In this specimen, which is 65 cm long, the soft parts are not preserved and the expanded attachment base is broken off. The anterior short spiny branchlets have the same character and distribution.
The spines are very short and conical, with an elongated base, and do not show a regular arrangement. Compared to those of Bathypathes alternata, the spines are smaller, more numerous and more irregularly arranged.
Four or five longitudinal rows are visible from one side, with the members of a row one to five lengths apart. In places where the spines are less dense, an irregular spiral arrangement can be seen.
Synonyms:
Bathypathes (Eubathypathes) lyra Brook, 1889 - unaccepted > superseded combination
Bathypathes lyra Brook, 1889 - unaccepted > superseded combination (new combination)
- Mellish Seamount, North Pacific
- 600 km North of Puerto Rico
- Hatteras Abyssal Plain, North Carolina North Atlantic Ocean
- Ellsworth Land, Peter Island Antarctic Ocean
- East of Kermadec Ridge; SSE of Tonga South Pacific Ocean
- Mona Seamount Puerto Rico Caribbean Sea
Abyssopathes lyra is a small lyrate species with usually alternate lateral branches, the lower ones being very long and bent upwards towards the apex, and additionally with a row of short, spiny branches on the front, projecting at right angles to the stem and lateral branches.
The stem is slender, straight, tapering, a rich reddish brown near the base and gradually becoming yellowish towards the tip.
In one specimen, the stem is 115 cm long and has a thickening at the base through which it is attached to a small stone.
The main branches are lateral and alternate, except at the base where two are opposite, they are simple, elongated and fish-shaped and are initially almost at right angles to the trunk, but the angle gradually becomes smaller further up.
The lowest branches, a pair, arise about 13 cm from the base; the others arise alternately on the right and left side and are almost in the same plane.
Most of the main branches are ultimately bent inwards, reaching a point at the level of the stem tip.
The lower ones are 11.5 cm long, the others become shorter towards the tip, the youngest are only 2.4 cm long.
This specimen has a total of eighteen lateral branches, of which sixteen are alternate and the two basal ones are opposite.
In addition to the lateral branches, there is a row of short, simple, hairy branchlets on the front of the stem that run horizontally in a plane perpendicular to the plane occupied by the stem and the lateral branches. These are confined to the part of the stem that bears the lateral branches.
In the lower part they are about 6 mm apart and become narrower towards the middle of the stem, their average length is 6 mm.
The zooids are regular in size and almost equally spaced from the base to the tip of each branch, usually about 3 mm apart.
They resemble those of Bathypathes patula, but are smaller and have more flattened leaf-like tentacles in specimens in spirit.
A further and smaller specimen from a different locality agrees well with the one already described, with the first two lateral branches even being opposite instead of alternate, a feature that would otherwise have been considered coincidental.
In this specimen, which is 65 cm long, the soft parts are not preserved and the expanded attachment base is broken off. The anterior short spiny branchlets have the same character and distribution.
The spines are very short and conical, with an elongated base, and do not show a regular arrangement. Compared to those of Bathypathes alternata, the spines are smaller, more numerous and more irregularly arranged.
Four or five longitudinal rows are visible from one side, with the members of a row one to five lengths apart. In places where the spines are less dense, an irregular spiral arrangement can be seen.
Synonyms:
Bathypathes (Eubathypathes) lyra Brook, 1889 - unaccepted > superseded combination
Bathypathes lyra Brook, 1889 - unaccepted > superseded combination (new combination)
