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WoRMS taxon details

Desmophyllum Ehrenberg, 1834

Lophelia reefs are common at several locations in the Trondheimsfjord, as shallow as 39m.
Lophelia reefs are common at several locations in the Trondheimsfjord, as shallow as 39m.

135093  (urn:lsid:marinespecies.org:taxname:135093)

  1. Biota
  2. Animalia (Kingdom)
  3. Cnidaria (Phylum)
  4. Anthozoa (Subphylum)
  5. Hexacorallia (Class)
  6. Scleractinia (Order)
  7. Vacatina (Suborder)
  8. Caryophylliidae (Family)
  9. Desmophyllum (Genus)
accepted
Genus
Madrepora dianthus Esper, 1794 accepted as Desmophyllum dianthus (Esper, 1794) (type by subsequent designation)
Lophelia Milne Edwards & Haime, 1849 · unaccepted > junior subjective synonym
Lophohelia Milne Edwards & Haime, 1857 · unaccepted > junior subjective synonym
Psammosmilia de Fromentel, 1866 † · unaccepted > junior subjective synonym
Pseudodesmophyllum Reig Oriol, 1997 † · unaccepted > junior subjective synonym
Scolangia Tenison-Woods, 1880 † · unaccepted > junior subjective synonym
Thalassiotrochus Milne Edwards, 1861 · unaccepted > junior subjective synonym

Ordering

  • Alphabetically
  • By status

Children Display

  1. Species Desmophyllum affine Seguenza, 1864 †
  2. Species Desmophyllum ambiguum Michelotti, 1871 †
  3. Species Desmophyllum antiquatum Seguenza, 1864 †
  4. Species Desmophyllum cantamessi Zuffardi-Comerci, 1932 †
  5. Species Desmophyllum clavatum Seguenza, 1864 †
  6. Species Desmophyllum compressum Seguenza, 1864 †
  7. Species Desmophyllum coulsoni Wells, 1977 †
  8. Species Desmophyllum crassum Seguenza, 1864 †
  9. Species Desmophyllum cylindraceum Seguenza, 1864 †
  10. Species Desmophyllum decuplum Wells, 1977 †
  11. Species Desmophyllum defrancei (Milne Edwards & Haime, 1857) †
  12. Species Desmophyllum dianthus (Esper, 1794)
  13. Species Desmophyllum edwardsianum Seguenza, 1864 †
  14. Species Desmophyllum ehrenbergianum Seguenza, 1864 †
  15. Species Desmophyllum elegans Seguenza, 1864 †
  16. Species Desmophyllum exclavatum Osasco, 1897 †
  17. Species Desmophyllum fungiaeforme Seguenza, 1864 †
  18. Species Desmophyllum gracile Seguenza, 1864 †
  19. Species Desmophyllum hourigani Cairns, 2021
  20. Species Desmophyllum joannense Dennant, 1902 †
  21. Species Desmophyllum laevicostatum Osasco, 1897 †
  22. Species Desmophyllum lirioides Wells, 1977 †
  23. Species Desmophyllum maximum Seguenza, 1864 †
  24. Species Desmophyllum miocenicum Seguenza, 1864 †
  25. Species Desmophyllum multicostatum Seguenza, 1864 †
  26. Species Desmophyllum nudum Michelotti, 1871 †
  27. Species Desmophyllum orbiculare Seguenza, 1864 †
  28. Species Desmophyllum orbigny (Fromentel, 1866) †
  29. Species Desmophyllum orientalis (Stoliczka, 1873) †
  30. Species Desmophyllum pedemontana d'Achiardi, 1868 †
  31. Species Desmophyllum pedunculatum Seguenza, 1864 †
  32. Species Desmophyllum pertusum (Linnaeus, 1758)
  33. Species Desmophyllum pyrenaicum Chevalier, 1961 †
  34. Species Desmophyllum quinarium Tenison-Woods, 1879
  35. Species Desmophyllum semicostatum Seguenza, 1864 †
  36. Species Desmophyllum simplex Michelotti, 1871 †
  37. Species Desmophyllum stokesii Milne Edwards & Haime, 1848 †
  38. Species Desmophyllum striatum Sismonda, 1871 †
  39. Species Desmophyllum subcostatum Chevalier, 1961 †
  40. Species Desmophyllum sulcatum Seguenza, 1864 †
  41. Species Desmophyllum taurinense (Michelin, 1841) †
  42. Species Desmophyllum turgidum (Michelotti, 1847) †
  43. Species Desmophyllum willcoxi Gane, 1895 †
  44. Species Desmophyllum zancleum Seguenza, 1864 †
  45. Subgenus Desmophyllum (Javania) Duncan, 1876 accepted as Javania Duncan, 1876 (unaccepted > superseded combination)
  46. Species Desmophyllum alabastrum Alcock, 1902 accepted as Javania lamprotichum (Moseley, 1880) (unaccepted > junior subjective synonym)
  47. Species Desmophyllum antarcticum Gravier, 1914 accepted as Javania antarctica (Gravier, 1914) (unaccepted > superseded combination, basionym)
  48. Species Desmophyllum cailleti Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864 accepted as Javania cailleti (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864) (unaccepted > superseded combination, basionym)
  49. Species Desmophyllum capense Gardiner, 1905 accepted as Desmophyllum dianthus (Esper, 1794) (unaccepted > junior subjective synonym)
  50. Species Desmophyllum clavatum Michelotti, 1871 accepted as Javania clavata (Michelotti, 1871) (unaccepted > superseded combination)
  51. Species Desmophyllum cornu (Moseley, 1880) accepted as Crispatotrochus cornu (Moseley, 1880) (unaccepted > superseded combination)
  52. Species Desmophyllum costatum Milne Edwards & Haime, 1848 accepted as Desmophyllum dianthus (Esper, 1794) (unaccepted > junior subjective synonym)
  53. Species Desmophyllum cristagalli Milne Edwards & Haime, 1848 accepted as Desmophyllum dianthus (Esper, 1794) (unaccepted > junior subjective synonym)
  54. Species Desmophyllum cumingi Milne Edwards & Haime, 1848 accepted as Desmophyllum dianthus (Esper, 1794) (unaccepted > junior subjective synonym, misspelling)
  55. Species Desmophyllum cumingii Milne Edwards & Haime, 1848 accepted as Desmophyllum dianthus (Esper, 1794) (unaccepted > junior subjective synonym)
  56. Species Desmophyllum delicatum Yabe & Eguchi, 1942 accepted as Javania cailleti (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864) (unaccepted > junior subjective synonym)
  57. Species Desmophyllum eburneum Moseley, 1880 accepted as Javania cailleti (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864) (unaccepted > junior subjective synonym)
  58. Species Desmophyllum fasciculatum (Risso, 1826) accepted as Thalamophyllia gasti (Döderlein, 1913) (unaccepted > junior homonym)
  59. Species Desmophyllum galapagense Vaughan, 1906 accepted as Javania cailleti (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864) (unaccepted > junior subjective synonym)
  60. Species Desmophyllum gasti Döderlein, 1913 accepted as Thalamophyllia gasti (Döderlein, 1913) (unaccepted > superseded combination, basionym)
  61. Species Desmophyllum gracile Studer, 1878 accepted as Monomyces rubrum (Quoy & Gaimard, 1833) (unaccepted > junior subjective synonym)
  62. Species Desmophyllum incertum Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1860 accepted as Oxysmilia rotundifolia (Milne Edwards & Haime, 1848) (unaccepted > junior subjective synonym)
  63. Species Desmophyllum ingens Moseley, 1880 accepted as Desmophyllum dianthus (Esper, 1794) (unaccepted > junior subjective synonym)
  64. Species Desmophyllum insigne (Duncan, 1876) accepted as Javania insignis Duncan, 1876 (unaccepted > superseded combination)
  65. Species Desmophyllum insignis Duncan, 1876 accepted as Javania insignis Duncan, 1876 (unaccepted > superseded combination, basionym)
  66. Species Desmophyllum lamprotichum Moseley, 1880 accepted as Javania lamprotichum (Moseley, 1880) (unaccepted > junior subjective synonym)
  67. Species Desmophyllum nobile Verrill, 1885 accepted as Javania cailleti (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864) (unaccepted > junior subjective synonym)
  68. Species Desmophyllum pseudoseptata Eguchi, 1965 accepted as Javania antarctica (Gravier, 1914) (unaccepted > junior subjective synonym)
  69. Species Desmophyllum pseudoseptatum Eguchi, 1965 accepted as Javania antarctica (Gravier, 1914) (unaccepted > junior subjective synonym)
  70. Species Desmophyllum reflexum Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1860 accepted as Desmophyllum dianthus (Esper, 1794) (unaccepted > junior subjective synonym)
  71. Species Desmophyllum riisei Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1860 accepted as Thalamophyllia riisei (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1860) (unaccepted > superseded combination, amended spelling)
  72. Species Desmophyllum rusei Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1860 accepted as Thalamophyllia riisei (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1860) (unaccepted > misspelling - incorrect original spelling)
  73. Species Desmophyllum serpuliforme Gravier, 1915 accepted as Desmophyllum dianthus (Esper, 1794) (unaccepted > junior subjective synonym)
  74. Species Desmophyllum simplex Verrill, 1870 accepted as Thalamophyllia riisei (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1860) (unaccepted > junior subjective synonym)
  75. Species Desmophyllum solidum Pourtalès, 1871 accepted as Thalamophyllia riisei (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1860) (unaccepted > junior subjective synonym)
  76. Species Desmophyllum stellaria Ehrenberg, 1834 accepted as Balanophyllia (Balanophyllia) europaea (Risso, 1827) (unaccepted > junior subjective synonym)
  77. Species Desmophyllum stokesi Milne Edwards & Haime, 1848 † accepted as Desmophyllum stokesii Milne Edwards & Haime, 1848 † (unaccepted > misspelling - incorrect subsequent spelling)
  78. Species Desmophyllum striatum Cairns, 1979 accepted as Desmophyllum hourigani Cairns, 2021 (unaccepted > junior subjective synonym, homonym)
  79. Species Desmophyllum striatum Michellotti, 1871 † accepted as Desmophyllum striatum Sismonda, 1871 † (wrong authority)
  80. Species Desmophyllum subcylindricum Philippi, 1846 † accepted as Balanophyllia (Balanophyllia) subcylindrica (Philippi, 1846) † (unaccepted > superseded combination, basionym)
  81. Species Desmophyllum subturbinatum Michelotti, 1871 † accepted as Javania subturbinata (Michelotti, 1871) † (unaccepted > superseded combination)
  82. Species Desmophyllum tenuescens Gardiner, 1899 accepted as Thalamophyllia tenuescens (Gardiner, 1899) (unaccepted > superseded combination, basionym)
  83. Species Desmophyllum vitreum Alcock, 1898 accepted as Javania cailleti (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864) (unaccepted > junior subjective synonym)
marine, fresh, terrestrial
recent + fossil
Ehrenberg, C. G. (1834). Beiträge zur physiologischen Kenntniss der Corallenthiere im allgemeinen, und besonders des rothen Meeres, nebst einem Versuche zur physiologischen Systematik derselben. <em>Abhandlungen der Königlichen Akademie der Wissenschaften, Berlin.</em> 1: 225-380., available online at https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/29725862 [details] 
Depth range 8-2460 m  
Depth range 8-2460 m [details]

Fossil range Upper Cretaceous to Recent  
Fossil range Upper Cretaceous to Recent [details]
Hoeksema, B. W.; Cairns, S. (2025). World List of Scleractinia. Desmophyllum Ehrenberg, 1834. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=135093 on 2025-07-15
Date
action
by
2004-12-21 15:54:05Z
created
Hoeksema, Bert
2006-07-31 06:57:06Z
changed
Camba Reu, Cibran
2010-08-09 23:59:51Z
changed
Cairns, Stephen
2010-09-13 23:22:01Z
changed
Cairns, Stephen
2019-10-08 20:42:32Z
changed
Hoeksema, Bert
2022-05-26 06:45:21Z
changed
Hoeksema, Bert

Creative Commons License The webpage text is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License


Nomenclature

original description Ehrenberg, C. G. (1834). Beiträge zur physiologischen Kenntniss der Corallenthiere im allgemeinen, und besonders des rothen Meeres, nebst einem Versuche zur physiologischen Systematik derselben. <em>Abhandlungen der Königlichen Akademie der Wissenschaften, Berlin.</em> 1: 225-380., available online at https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/29725862 [details] 

original description (of Lophelia Milne Edwards & Haime, 1849) Milne Edwards H, Haime J (1849) Mémoire sur les polypiers appartenant a aux groups naturels des zoanthaires perforés es des zoanthaires tabulés. Comptes rendus hebdomadaires des séances de l'Académie des sciences 29: 257-263. [details] 

original description (of Lophohelia Milne Edwards & Haime, 1857) Milne Edwards H, Haime J. (1857). Histoire naturelle des coralliaires ou polypes proprement dits 2. Librairie Encyclopédique de Roret, Paris. 631 pp., available online at https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/12403706 [details] 

original description (of Thalassiotrochus Milne Edwards, 1861) Milne Edwards A. (1861). Observations zur l'existence de divers mollusques et zoophytes. <em>Annales des Sciences Naturelles, Zoologie, Series 4.</em> 15: 149-157. [details] 

original description (of Scolangia Tenison-Woods, 1880 †) Tenison Woods, J. E. (1880). Corals and Bryozoa of the Neozoic period in New Zealand. <em>Palaeontology of New Zealand. Colonial Museum and Geological Survey Department.</em> 4: i-xvi, 1-34, 3 pls. [details] 

original description (of Psammosmilia de Fromentel, 1866 †) Fromentel E. de. (1866). Paléontologie française ou description des Animaux invertébrés fossiles de la France. Terrain crétacé. Tome 8 : Zoophytes. p. 241-288. [details] 

original description (of Pseudodesmophyllum Reig Oriol, 1997 †) Reig Oriol, J. M. (1997). Generos y especies nuevas de Madreporarios cretacicos. <em>Barcelona, Self-published,.</em> 45 pp., 5 pls. [details] 

basis of record Cairns, S.D., Hoeksema, B.W., and J. van der Land, 2001. Scleractinia, <B><I>in</I></B>: Costello, M.J. <i>et al.</i> (Ed.) (2001). <i>European register of marine species: a check-list of the marine species in Europe and a bibliography of guides to their identification. Collection Patrimoines Naturels,</i> 50: pp. 109-110 (look up in IMIS) [details] 

Taxonomy

redescription Cairns, S.D. (2000). A revision of the shallow-water azooxanthellate Scleractinia of the western Atlantic. <em>Studies on the Natural History of the Caribbean Region.</em> 75: 1-231. [details] Available for editors  PDF available [request]

redescription Cairns, S.D. (1995). The marine fauna of New Zealand: Scleractinia (Cnidaria: Anthozoa. <em>New Zealand Oceanographic Memoir.</em> 103: 1-210. [details] Available for editors  PDF available [request]

redescription Cairns, S.D. (1994). Scleractinia of the temperate North Pacific. <em>Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology.</em> 557: 1-150. [details] Available for editors  PDF available [request]

Other

additional source Neave, Sheffield Airey. (1939-1996). Nomenclator Zoologicus vol. 1-10 Online. <em>[Online Nomenclator Zoologicus at Checklistbank. Ubio link has gone].</em> , available online at https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/126539/about [details] 

additional source Veron JEN. (1986). Corals of Australia and the Indo-Pacific. <em>Angus & Robertson Publishers.</em> [details] 

additional source Randall RH. (2003). An annotated checklist of hydrozoan and scleractinian corals collected from Guam and other Mariana Islands. <em>Micronesica.</em> 35-36: 121-137.
page(s): 135 [details] 

additional source Cairns, S.D. (2009-2017). On line appendix: Phylogenetic list of the 711 valid Recent azooxanthellate scleractinian species with their junior synonyms and depth ranges, 28 pp. <em>In: Cold-Water Corals: The Biology and Geology of Deep-Sea Coral Habitats.</em> Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. [details] OpenAccess publication

additional source Cairns, S.D., L. Gershwin, F.J. Brook, P. Pugh, E.W. Dawson, O.V. Ocaña, W. Vervoort, G. Williams, J.E. Watson, D.M. Opresko, P. Schuchert, P.M. Hine, D.P. Gordon, H.I. Campbell, A.J. Wright, J.A.Sánchez & D.G. Fautin. (2009). Phylum Cnidaria: corals, medusae, hydroids, myxozoans. <em>in: Gordon, D.P. (Ed.) (2009). New Zealand inventory of biodiversity: 1. Kingdom Animalia: Radiata, Lophotrochozoa, Deuterostomia.</em> :59-101., available online at https://repository.si.edu/handle/10088/8431 [details] Available for editors  PDF available [request]

additional source Cairns, S.D., R. Baron-Szabo, A.F. Budd, B. Lathuilière, E. Roniewicz, J. Stolarski & K.G. Johnson. (2010). Corallosphere. , available online at http://www.corallosphere.org [details] 

additional source Bassett-Smith, P.W. (1890). Report on the corals from Tizard and Macclesfield Banks, China Sea. <em>Annals and Magazine of Natural History,.</em> 6(35): 353-374, 443-458, pls. 12-14., available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/00222939008694050
page(s): 358, 367 [details] 

additional source Chevalier J-P. (1961). Recherches sur les Madreporaires et les formations recifales Miocenes de la Mediterranee occidentale. <em>Memoires de la Societe Geologique de France, Nouvelle Série.</em> 40(93): 1-562, pls. 1-26. [details] 

additional source Kitahara, M.V., J. Stolarski, S.D. Cairns, F. Benzoni, J.L. Stake & D.J. Miller. (2012). The first modern solitary Agariciidae (Anthozoa, Scleractinia) revealed by molecular and microstructural analysis. <em>Invertebrate Systematics.</em> 26 (3): 303-315., available online at https://doi.org/10.1071/is11053
page(s): 304, 311, 313 [details] Available for editors  PDF available [request]

additional source Alcock AW. (1902). Report on the deep-sea Madreporaria of the Siboga-Expedition. <em>Siboga Expeditie.</em> 16a: 1-52, pls. 1-5., available online at https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.11383
page(s): 28, 45, 50 [details] 

additional source Wells JW. (1958). Scleractinian Corals. <em>British-Australian New Zealand Antarctic Research Expedition 1929-31 Reports Series B.</em> 6(11): 257-275, pls. 1-2.
page(s): 260 [details] 

additional source Farrow, G. E.; Durant, G. P. (1985). Carbonate-basaltic sediments from Cobb Seamount, Northeast Pacific: zonation, bioerosion and petrology. Marine Geology, 65, 73-102
page(s): 78, 91, 92 [details] 

additional source Stetson, T. R.; Squires, D. F.; Pratt, R. M. (1962). Coral banks occurring in deep water on the Blake Plateau. American Museum Novitates, (2114): 1-39
page(s): 34 [details] 

additional source Smith FGW. (1954). Gulf of Mexico Madreporaria. <em>Fisheries Bulletin of the Fish and Wildlife Service (U.S.).</em> 55, 291-295.
page(s): 294 [details] 

 
 Present  Inaccurate  Introduced: alien  Containing type locality 
   

Nontype BMNH, geounit Chinese Exclusive Economic Zone [details]
Nontype UAZM, geounit Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone [details]
From editor or global species database
Diagnosis Corallum solitary, trochoid to subcylindrical, firmly attached; septothecate; pali absent; columella absent or rudimentary; sparse endothecal dissepiments in elongate coralla. [details]

Remark Several dozen fossil species and three Recent species. See Baron-Szabo (2002), Cairns (1994) and Chevalier (1961) for discussion. D. dianthus is one of a dozen cosmopolitan coral species and perhaps the most commonly collected deep water coral species. It is also morphologically one of the simplest in construction. [details]

Unreviewed
Biology azooxanthellate [details]

Depth range 8-2460 m [details]

Fossil range Upper Cretaceous to Recent [details]

Habitat Known from seamounts and knolls [details]
    Definitions

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To European Nucleotide Archive, ENA (Desmophyllum) 
To European Nucleotide Archive, ENA (Lophelia) (from synonym Lophelia Milne Edwards & Haime, 1849)
To Genbank (from synonym Lophelia Milne Edwards & Haime, 1849)
To Genbank 
To Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History (YPM IZ 027293) (from synonym Lophelia Milne Edwards & Haime, 1849)
To Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History (YPM IZ 061549) 
To ITIS
From editor or global species database
Unreviewed
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