摘要：This paper reports the first finding of the sea pen Protoptilum carpenteri Kölliker, 1872 in the Mediterranean Sea. A total of three colonies were collected in 2010 with an epibenthic sledge, and one colony in 2013 with a bottom-trawl net, in the Santa Maria di Leuca (SML) coral province in the Ionian Sea. The main anatomical features and taxonomic characteristics are reported and discussed in order to update the knowledge of this species. A description of morphologies and dimensions of the sclerites, taken from different parts of the colony, is reported. A comparison with Atlantic records is given and discussed.
关键词：Protoptilum carpenteri; Pennatulacea; Mediterranean Sea; biometry; cold-water coral community
