Untangling deep-sea corals systematics

The paper documents another stage in elucidating the phylogenetic relationships among traditionally understood Caryophylliidae, considered until recently as the most species-rich group of predominantly deep-water scleractinian corals. Nuclear and mitochondrial DNA analyses revealed that the genera Stephanocyathus and Vaughanella exhibit their own gene transposition and lack a unique gene rearrangement that is a synapomorphy of the group containing the type genus Caryophyllia. Molecular characteristics and macromorphological features allow to segregate the genera Stephanocyathus, Vaughanella, and likely Ericiocyathus into a new family, Stephanocyathidae.

Illustration: Maximum likelihood phylogeny based on the nuclear data set (upper box) indicating position of the new family Stephanocyathidae in comparison to Caryophyllidae sensu stricto. Lower box: skeletons of selected representatives of Stephanocyathidae in distal and lateral views.