A New Species of Gorgonian Octocoral from the Mesophotic Zone off the Central Coast of California, Eastern Pacific with a Key to Related Regional Taxa (Anthozoa, Octocorallia, Alcyonacea) Author Williams, Gary C. Author Breedy, Odalisca text Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences 2019 2019-05-15 65 6 143 158 journal article 295163 10.5281/zenodo.11067011 2fe8cdc6-2c60-403a-bd65-d04c7f967794 0068-547X 11067011 Chromoplexaura cordellbankensis Williams and Breedy , sp. nov. Figures 2–10. HOLOTYPE .— CASIZ 228195 ; NOAA Sample SH-18-09-017; Cordell Bank, Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary, CBNMS Transect-127; ca. 51 km W. of Point Reyes Peninsula ( 38°03′ 15.465″N 123°28′48.072″W ); 100.5 m depth ; 08 August 2018 ; ROV Beagle ( MARE ) from FSV Bell M. Shimada ( NOAA ); one partial specimen (missing holdfast), wet–preserved in 95% ethanol. PARATYPES .— CASIZ 228194 . NOAA Sample SH-18-09-016; Cordell Bank , Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary , CBNMS Transect-127; ca. 51 km W. of Point Reyes Peninsula , California , USA ( 38°03′15.915″N 123°28′49.874″W ); 101.6 m depth ; 08 August 2018 ; ROV Beagle ( MARE ) from FSV Bell M. Shimada ( NOAA ); one partial specimen ( 14 mm long branch fragment), wet-preserved in 95% ethanol . CASIZ 207519 ; La Cruz Canyon , Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary; California , USA ( 35.7694°N 121.4475°W ); 106.8 m depth ; 28 October 2018 ; coll. by ROV on board FSV Bell M. Shimada ( NOAA ); one whole specimen . CASIZ 207520 ; Anacapa Island , Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary; California , USA ( 33.992°N 119.3722°W ); 86 m depth ; 31 October 2018 ; coll. by ROV on board FSV Bell M. Shimada ( NOAA ); one specimen in two pieces. HABITAT AND DISTRIBUTION .— Found on rugose, rocky substrata often with conspicuous vertical relief, or on rounded boulders in boulder fields ( Fig. 3 ). Distributed off the central and southern coasts of California , between 38.2° and 32.5°N latitude ( Figs. 8–9 ); at mesophotic depths between 86 and 107 m . The type locality is Cordell Bank in the Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary , ca. 70 miles WNW of San Francisco , California , 100 m depth . ETYMOLOGY .— The specific epithet is derived from Cordell Bank and the Latin suffix – ensis (belonging to); referring to the region of discovery of the new species and collection of the holotype – Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary.