Meeting Abstract
We report an undescribed species and genus of tentaculate ctenophore, nicknamed “Delmarva red,” caught by Tucker trawl off the coast of Delaware at a depth of approximately 600 m. Individuals presumed to be adult representatives of the species are approximately 8 cm in length, with bright red bodies, a pair of orange tentacles, purple comb rows, and a prominent black gut whose pigmentation likely aids in the concealment of consumed bioluminescent prey. Phylogenomic analyses suggest that “Delmarva red” is sister to Euplokamis dunlapae. Together these two species are recovered as the sister group to all other extant ctenophores. “Delmarva red” appears superficially similar to the “Tortugas red” ctenophore from the Caribbean that has been referenced in various past studies of the phylum. It is possible that “Tortugas red” and “Delmarva red” are one and the same, and that the species is cosmopolitan in the Atlantic, but further sampling will be necessary to assess this biogeographical point.
