Chrysogorgiidae is a family of soft corals in the suborder Scleralcyonacea.
Currently the only fossil record for the family are specimens tentatively identified as a member of the genus Radicipes from the Oligocene epoch. It was found in deep-water strata in western Washington State, USA.
Distribution It is a widely distributed family being found worldwide in deep-sea environments. Most species are found in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans with only a reports from the Indian Ocean. Chrysogorgiids are the most abundant family of corals on deep sea seamounts southwest of Hawaii. Taxonomy
The following genera are recognised as members of the family Chrysogorgiidae:
Chrysogorgia Iridogorgia Metallogorgia Parachrysogorgia Pseudochrysogorgia Radicipes Ramuligorgia Rhodaniridogorgia
Taxonomic history There have been a number of other genera that have been previously assigned to this family. A recent taxonomic revision based on phylogenomic analysis either found them not to belong to the family or couldn't place them because there was no suitable molecular data for analysis.
Chalcogorgia Distichogorgia Flagelligorgia Helicogorgia Pleurogorgia (tentatively moved to Pleurogorgiidae) Trichogorgia (tentatively moved to Ifalukellidae) Stephanogorgia Xenogorgia
References
Bayer, F.M. and K.M. Muzik. 1976. New genera and species of the holaxonian family Chrysogorgiidae (Octocorallia: Gorgonacea). Zoologische Mededelingen (Leiden) 50: 65–90. Goedert, J.L., L.S. Guthrie, and S. Kiel. 2022. Octocorals (Alcyonacea and Pennatulacea) from Paleogene deep-water strata in western Washington State, USA. Journal of Paleontology 96: 539–551.
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