Diversity of stylasterid corals (Cnidaria: Hydrozoa: Stylasteridae) in deep water habitats of New Caledonia

Stylasterid corals are among the most important habitat-forming organisms on hard substrates in the deep-sea. Based on more than 3.000 specimens collected during the 2003 Norfolk 2 survey off southern New Caledonia, I here present a report of the deep water stylasterid fauna discovered in the region. Morphological analyses of the collected specimens and comparison to type and non-type material dep…