North-eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean species of Cornulariidae Dana, 1846 (Anthozoa: Stolonifera) with the description of a new genus

The North-eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean species of the family Cornulariidae are re-examined and taxonomically revised. This family is mainly characterized by the absence of sclerites. Up to now, only one genus, Cornularia Lamarck, 1816, has been assigned to the family. Studies of the internal and external anatomy of the European species of Cornulariidae, carried out for the first time on a comparative basis, leads us to propose a new genus, Cervera. New combinations of the species included in the family are proposed. The main characters of Cervera gen. nov. are the presence of a fine chitinous periderm, various communication canals in the stolons and the absence of a additional chitinous layer that covers the periderm. Cornularia atlantica Johnson, 1861, is described for the first time subsequent to the original description, and is here designated as the type species of the new genus. The taxonomic significance of the anatomical and histological characters in the Cornulariidae are discussed and the systematic position of the species previously attributed to the genus Cornularia is reassessed.