First record of Stichopathes occidentalis (Gray, 1860) and range extensions of Antipathes atlantica Gray, 1857 (Cnidaria: Anthozoa: Antipatharia) in the southwestern Atlantic Ocean

Abstract

Twenty-one species of black corals have been recorded in the Brazilian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) to date, distributed mainly at depths greater than 20 m. The diversity of these environments along the northern and northeastern coasts of Brazil has been poorly investigated, in particular few information are available for the cnidarian fauna. This note represents the first record of the genus Stichopathes for the southwestern Atlantic Ocean, and also fills in the gaps in the distribution of Antipathes atlantica between the northern and southern coasts of Brazil.