Isidella sp. at 1889 meters depth on Balanus Seamount. (Image copyright of the Deep Atlantic Stepping Stones Research Team; IFE-URI; and NOAA)

Acanella cf. eburnea at 1316 meters depth on Caloosahatchee Seamount. Note the root-like holdfast extending into the soft substrate. (Image copyright of the Deep Atlantic Stepping Stones Research Team; IFE-URI; and NOAA)

A portion of a branch - shown at right being sampled - from Keratoisis sp. with the tissue removed to show the internal skeleton branching at the internodes.

Keratoisis sp. at 1800 meters depth on Manning Seamount. (Image copyright of the Mountains in the Sea Research Team; IFE; and NOAA)

Keratoisis sp. on Bear Seamount at 1478 meters depth. (Image copyright of the Mountains in the Sea Research Team; IFE; and NOAA)

A field of whip-like bamboo corals (Lepidisis sp.) stand 2 - 3 meters tall on Balanus Seamount at 1560 meters depth. (Image copyright of the Mountains in the Sea Research Team; IFE; and NOAA)

Lepidisis sp. at 1689 meters depth on Balanus Seamount. Genetic analyses reveal that, despite the gross similarity of the whip-like form, this colony morphology is observed in several distinct/independent clades of Keratoisidinae., e.g., compare to colony at right. (Image copyright of the Deep Atlantic Stepping Stones Research Team; IFE-URI; and NOAA)

Lepidisis sp. at 726 meters depth in Molokai Canyon, Hawai'i. Genetically, this colony is more closely related to nodal branching Isidella (see above) than to the grossly-similar Lepidisis shown at left. (Image copyright of the Mountains in the Sea Research Team; IFE; and NOAA)