The continental shelf edge of the NW Gulf of Mexico supports dozens of reefs and banks, including the West and East Flower Garden Banks (FGB) and Stetson Bank that comprise the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (FGBNMS). Discovered by fishermen in the early 1900s, the FGBs are named after the colourful corals, sponges and algae that dominate the region. The reefs and banks are the surface expression of underlying salt domes and provide important habitat for mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCE) and deep coral communities to 300 m depth. Since 2001, FGBNMS research teams have utilized remotely operated vehicles (e.g. ‘Phantom S2’, ‘Mohawk’, ‘Yogi’) to survey and characterize benthic habitats of this region. In 2016, a Draft Environmental Impact Statement proposed the expansion of the current sanctuary boundaries to incorporate an additional 15 reefs and banks, including Elvers Bank. Antipatharians (black corals) were collected within the proposed expansion sites and analysed using morphological and molecular methods. A new species, Distichopathes hickersonae, collected at 172 m depth on Elvers Bank, is described within the family Aphanipathidae. This brings the total number of black coral species in and around the sanctuary to 14.

中文翻译：

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来自墨西哥湾西北部埃尔弗斯银行的一种新黑珊瑚的形态和分子特征（刺胞动物：Anthozoa：Hexacorallia：Antipatharia：Aphanipathidae：Distichopathes）

墨西哥湾西北部的大陆架边缘支撑着数十个珊瑚礁和河岸，包括西部和东部花园河岸 (FGB) 和斯泰森河岸，它们构成了花园河岸国家海洋保护区 (FGBNMS)。FGBs 于 1900 年代初被渔民发现，以该地区色彩斑斓的珊瑚、海绵和藻类命名。珊瑚礁和河岸是下伏盐丘的表面表现，为中光珊瑚生态系统 (MCE) 和深达 300 米的深珊瑚群落提供了重要的栖息地。自 2001 年以来，FGBNMS 研究团队使用遥控车辆（例如“Phantom S2”、“Mohawk”、“Yogi”）来调查和描述该地区的底栖栖息地。2016年，环境影响声明草案提议扩大目前的保护区边界，以纳入额外的 15 个珊瑚礁和河岸，包括埃尔弗斯河岸。在拟议的扩张地点内收集了反病理学者（黑珊瑚），并使用形态学和分子学方法进行了分析。一个新物种，希克松蝽，在 Elvers Bank 的 172 m 深度收集，在 Aphanipathidae 家族中被描述。这使保护区内及周围的黑珊瑚物种总数达到 14 种。