On some veretillid pennatulaceans from the eastern Atlantic and western Pacific Oceans (Anthozoa : Octocorallia), with a review of the genus Cavernularia, and descriptions of new taxa

Examination of recent pennatulacean material collected during several cruis es off the Atlantic coast of Africa has allowed the taxonomic reassessment of several taxa of veretillid sea pens that were previously poorly known. T he holotype of Cavernularia elegans (Herklots, 1858) is redescribed with th e result that all previous records of the species from western Africa shoul d be considered incorrect, as the taxon is here considered to be limited in distribution to Japan. A new species of the genus Cavernularia is describe d and compared with its congeners and a new veretillid genus and species ar e described. New taxa are based on specimens from western Africa.