A taxonomic revision of the genus Primnoisis Studer [& Wright], 1887 (Coelenterata: Octocorallia: Isididae) using morphological and molecular data.

A complete taxonomic revision of the genus Primnoisis (Isididae) is presented herein, based on original type material of all nominal species and additional specimens from deep-water surveys in sub-temperate and Antarctic waters. A multi-disciplinary approach was used combining morphological characteristics such as colonial branching patterns, polyp structure, sclerite form and arrangement, together with phylogenetic reconstructions using two mitochondrial gene regions (mtMutS and igr1-cox1). The genus Primnoisis is retained with 7 of the 8 nominal species validated (P.

Digitate and capitate soft corals (Cnidaria: Octocorallia: Alcyoniidae) from Western Australia with reports on new species and new Australian geographical records.

We report on digitate and capitate Octocorallia within the genera Parasphaerasclera McFadden & Ofwegen, 2013, Eleutherobia Pütter, 1900, Sphaerasclera McFadden & Ofwegen, 2013, and Paraminabea Williams & Alderslade, 1999 from tropical Western Australian waters. Three new species (Parasphaerasclera kimberleyensis, Eleutherobia australiensis, Eleutherobia imaharai) are described, with a discussion of their taxonomic placement in the light of a recent treatment of the genus Eleutherobia and related taxa by McFadden & Ofwegen (2013). In addition, range extensions for three species are reported, Parasphaerasclera grayi (Thomson & Dean, 1931) known from Indonesia and the Pacific Ocean, Eleutherobia somaliensis Verseveldt & Bayer, 1988 from Somalia, and Eleutherobia splendens (Thomson & Dean, 1931) recorded from Indonesia and the Philippines.

Australia's deep-water octocoral fauna: historical account and checklist, distributions and regional affinities of recent collections.

The number of deep-water (>80 m) octocoral species recorded from Australian waters has more than tripled from 135 to 457 following six surveys undertaken between 1997 and 2008 on the deep continental margin of south-eastern, western and north-western Australia and the Tasman Sea.  This rapid increase in knowledge follows a slow accumulation of records since the earliest collections were made by vessels such as the Géographe and the Naturaliste in the early years of the 19 century. Consistent identification and alpha-labelling of the octocoral fauna between surveys has permitted a multi-region description and comparison.