Azooxanthellate brachycnemic zoantharians have so far only been reported from shallow depths (< 35 m) in tropical and subtropical regions. The present study reports for the first time on an azooxanthellate brachycnemic zoantharian, Sphenopus cf. exilis, from warm temperate waters. The record of this free-living, sand-dwelling species is from the mouth of Kagoshima Bay, Kagoshima, Japan. In addition, its congener S. marsupialis was observed on a sandy bottom at 114 m depth at Okinawa, Japan, which represents the first record of Sphenopus from lower mesophotic depths. These records from temperate to tropical sandy seafloors imply that free-living Sphenopus species may be much more widely and commonly distributed across the Indo-Pacific Ocean than is currently thought.

中文翻译：

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来自温带水域和较低中生深度的蝶草属的第一记录

迄今为止，仅在热带和亚热带地区的浅层深度（<35 m）中报告了恶黄藻类短杆菌动物黄原体。首次本研究报告上azooxanthellate brachycnemic zoantharian，Sphenopus参见 exilis，来自温带温水。这种自由生活的沙栖物种的记录来自日本鹿儿岛的鹿儿岛湾口。此外，在日本冲绳的114 m深度的沙质底部上观察到了其同类物marsupialis，这是从较低的中生深度开始的Sphenopus的第一个记录。从温带到热带沙质海底的这些记录暗示着自由生活的Sphenopus 该物种可能比目前所认为的更广泛，更普遍地分布在整个印度洋和太平洋之间。