Black Corals (Anthozoa: Antipatharia) from the Southwestern Atlantic Author Lima, Manuela M. Author Cordeiro, Ralf T. S. Author Perez, Carlos D. text Zootaxa 2019 2019-11-05 4692 1 1 67 journal article 24975 10.11646/zootaxa.4692.1.1 ead7ec31-b9d4-49f3-a006-a67fff6ad623 1175-5326 3528942 F054DC68-6A7E-4C80-9094-8ECCA4502CD6 Genus Stichopathes Brook, 1889 Type-species. Stichopathes pourtalesi Brook, 1889 (by original designation based on indirect evidence, see Bo & Opresko, 2015 ). Diagnosis. “ Monopodial unbranched corallum (rarely secondarily branched following regeneration of the broken stem), stem straight, wavy, curved, or partially (upper part of stem) or entirely spiral. Polyps confined to a regular, single row on one side of axis. Spines triangular to conical, smooth or papillose, and simple, bifurcated, or with multiple knobs or lobes at apex” ( Bo & Opresko, 2015 ). Remarks. The genus Stichopathes comprises 34 described species, most of which were based on incomplete descriptions, and lacking collection information (e.g., S. bournei Cooper, 1909 , with no locality of collection). Distribution. Atlantic, Indian Ocean and Pacific ( Molodtsova, 2014 ).