Octocorals are prominent habitat builders in deep-sea ecosystems. The octocorals Dentomuricea aff. meteor and Viminella flagellum are common deep-sea octocoral species in the Azores Archipelago, where they form dense, structurally complex and diverse communities between 150 and 600 m of depth. The objective of this study was to determine the reproductive biology of the studied species, including basic reproductive traits, gametogenic cycle and reproductive timing. Specimens were collected during 2010 and 2011 as by-catch from deep-sea long-line fisheries and scientific cruises and were histologically processed. Both species were found to be gonochoric and most likely broadcast spawners. Gamete presence was observed throughout the study period, indicating continuous or quasi-continuous gametogenesis. In some sampling sites gametogenic peaks were found in October for D. aff. meteor and May for V. flagellum, however oocyte size distributions and fecundity did not display any marked seasonality throughout the region. Reproductive knowledge is rarely available for deep-sea octocorals, despite its fundamental importance, and relevance in management and conservation.

八珊瑚是深海生态系统中重要的栖息地建设者。八珊瑚Dentomuricea aff。流星和Viminella 鞭毛是亚速尔群岛常见的深海八珊瑚物种，它们在 150 至 600 m 深度之间形成密集、结构复杂和多样化的群落。本研究的目的是确定所研究物种的生殖生物学，包括基本生殖特征、配子周期和生殖时间。标本是在 2010 年和 2011 年期间从深海延绳钓渔业和科学航行中作为副渔获物收集的，并进行了组织学处理。发现这两个物种都是淋病动物，最有可能是广播产卵动物。在整个研究期间都观察到配子的存在，表明配子发生是连续或准连续的。在一些采样点发现了 10 月份D. aff 的配子峰。V. 鞭毛流星和五月，然而卵母细胞大小分布和繁殖力在整个地区没有表现出任何明显的季节性。深海八珊瑚的生殖知识很少可用，尽管它具有根本的重要性，并且在管理和保护中具有相关性。