In a new paper in Zootaxa, researchers Odalisca Breedy, Catalina Murillo-Cruz, and Jorge Cortés Núñez report the discovery of a new species of octocoral, Heterogorgia abdita, which was found at 45 meters of depth in ACG waters. The study is a product of the BioMar marine bioinventory project, a collaboration between GDFCF, ACG, and the Centro de Investigación en Ciencias del Mar y Limnología (CIMAR) at the Universidad de Costa Rica.
Octocorallia is a class of marine animal that forms colonies and eats zooplankton, although little is known of their biology, especially those living in deep waters. They resemble stony corals; each polyp has eight feather-like tentacles, with many side branches. As the article notes, “This study enhances our understanding of the intriguing genus Heterogorgia and contributes to the knowledge of octocoral biodiversity within the Área de Conservación Guanacaste north Pacific Costa Rica and the broader marine biodiversity of the eastern tropical Pacific.”
You can watch a video detailing the finding, which includes video footage of the octocoral, here.