New records and range extensions of azooxanthellate scleractinians (Cnidaria: Anthozoa) from Brazil ralf t.s. cordeiro 1 , marcelo v. kitahara 2 and fernanda d. amaral 3 1 Federal University of Pernambuco, Post graduation Program in Animal Biology, Center of Biological Science (CCB), Department of Zoology, Avenida Professor Moraes Rego, 1235, Recife, – PE, CEP 50670-420, Brazil, 2 ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reefs Studies and Coral Genomics Group, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia, 3 Reef Environment Laboratory (LAR/UFRPE), Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Department of Zoology, Rua Dom Manoel de Medeiros, s/n, Recife, PE, CEP 52171-900, Brazil Based on specimens deposited in the scientific collections of the Reef Environment Laboratory of the Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, National Museum/Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, and Oceanography Department of the Federal University of Pernambuco, the first occurrences of the azooxanthellate scleractinians Polycyathus senegalensis and Eguchipsammia cornucopia from Brazilian waters are reported. In addition, latitudinal and/or bathymetric range extensions are reported for Caryophyllia ambrosia caribbeana, Caryophyllia antillarum, Premocyathus cornuformis, Deltocyathus calcar, Paracyathus pulchellus, Flabellum apertum, Sphenotrochus auritus, Madracis asperula and Astrangia solitaria. Keywords: deep-water corals, new occurrences, north-east Brazil, Scleractinia, Dendrophylliidae, Caryophylliidae Submitted 3 December 2011; accepted 26 January 2012 INTRODUCTION Some marine invertebrates, including most shallow-water scleractinian corals, have a symbiotic relationship with photo- synthetic dinoflagellates (Boschma, 1925; Fitt et al., 1993; Trench, 1997; Costa et al., 2008) and, consequently, are restricted to shallow-waters. However, almost half of the extant scleractinians do not present this symbiosis (Cairns, 2007) and are able to inhabit aphotic zones and live heterotro- phically (Kitahara, 2006; Roberts et al., 2009). Therefore, with no taxonomic validity, scleractinian corals can be grouped on the presence or absence of these symbionts, and are commonly referred to as zooxanthellate or azooxanthellate corals, respect- ively (Cairns, 1977; Schuhmacher & Zibrowius, 1985; Capı ´toli & Bemvenuti, 2004; Cairns et al., 2005; Cairns, 2007). To date, the number of azooxanthellate scleractinians from Brazil has a 4:1 ratio in relation to the number of zooxanthel- late species (Pires, 2007). Due to their ecological constraints and following a worldwide tendency, the distributional records of both groups in Brazilian waters show a much broader latitudinal/depth range for azooxanthellate species than that of zooxanthellate corals. Most of our knowledge about the Brazilian azooxanthellate coral fauna was acquired during or with the specimens collected through oceanographic expeditions carried out in the 18th Century (Pires, 2007; Kitahara, 2009). However, some regions with potentially diverse azooxanthellate coral fauna are still poorly sampled, especially those from the north-eastern and northern Brazilian coast. Despite the scarce scientific campaigns aspiring to collect deep-water organisms in Brazil, 63 scleractinian species are reported for the Brazilian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) (Cairns, 1979, 2000; Kitahara, 2007; Pires, 2007; Neves & Johnsson, 2009). However, due to the low sampling efforts related to the scarce financial and logistical investments (Lindner & Kitahara, 2007), it is believed that the species richness of azooxanthellate scleractinians from the Brazilian EEZ is still underestimated (see Kitahara, 2007). Aiming to contribute to the knowledge about azoox- anthellate scleractinians from Brazil, the present study reports the first occurrence of Polycyathus senegalensis Chevalier, 1966 and Eguchipsammia cornucopia (Pourtale `s, 1871), and expands the latitudinal and/or bathymetric ranges of the other nine species previously reported from this region. MATERIALS AND METHODS The specimens examined herein were collected by SCUBA diving or by bottom trawling throughout the Brazilian coast (Figure 1; Table 1). Vouchers were deposited at the scientific collections of the Reef Environment Laboratory of the Federal Rural University of Pernambuco (LAR/UFRPE); National Museum/Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (MNRJ); and/ or Oceanographic Museum of the Pernambuco Federal University (MOUFPE). Morphometrics and meristics followed Vaughan & Wells (1943), Wells (1972), Cairns (2000) and Kitahara (2007). Corresponding author: R.T. Cordeiro Email: ralfts@gmail.com 1 Marine Biodiversity Records, page 1 of 6. # Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 2012 doi:10.1017/S175526721200019X; Vol. 5; e35; 2012 Published online