Umbellula pomona

Umbellula pomona
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Cnidaria
Subphylum: Anthozoa
Class: Octocorallia
Order: Scleralcyonacea
Family: Umbellulidae
Genus: Umbellula
Species:
U. pomona
Binomial name
Umbellula pomona
Risaro, Williams & Lauretta, 2020

Umbellula pomona is a species of deep-water sea pen discovered in 2020 in the Mar del Plata Submarine Canyon.[1] This species is part of Umbellula, a genus of marine cnidarians.

Description

Umbellula pomona contains sclerites that differentiate it from other species of Umbellula lacking them. These sclerites vary in shape and size, between rod and spindle like, depending on the location in the body.[2]

Distribution

So far, Umbellula pomona has only been found in the Mar Del Plata Submarine Canyon at a depth of about 3000 m. This area of the ocean is very active, located where the Malvinas and Brazil Current meet. The interaction between the subantarctic and warm waters contributes to the difficulty of finding specimens.[2]

Reproduction

Umbellula pomona is a hermaphroditic species of Umbellula.[3]

References

  1. ^ "Search | European Journal of Taxonomy". europeanjournaloftaxonomy.eu. Retrieved 2026-03-17.
  2. ^ a b Risaro, Jessica; Williams, Gary C.; Pereyra, Daniela; Lauretta, Daniel (2020-10-13). "Umbellula pomona sp. nov., a new sea pen from Mar del Plata Submarine Canyon (Cnidaria: Octocorallia: Pennatulacea)". European Journal of Taxonomy. 720: 121–143. doi:10.5852/ejt.2020.720.1121. ISSN 2118-9773.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: unflagged free DOI (link)
  3. ^ Risaro, Jessica; Penchaszadeh, Pablo E.; Lauretta, Daniel (2025-02-20). "Hermaphroditism in superfamily Pennatuloidea (Cnidaria: Anthozoa). Reproduction on Umbellula-like sea pens (Umbellulidae and Pseudumbellulidae) from the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean". Coral Reefs. 44 (2): 571–582. doi:10.1007/s00338-025-02626-9. ISSN 0722-4028.