Complete mitochondrial genomes elucidate phylogenetic relationships of the deep-sea octocoral families Coralliidae and Paragorgiidae

While our manuscript was in review a study was published using morphological data and several fragments from mitochondrial genes to redefine the taxonomy of the Coralliidae. Paracorallium was subsumed into Corallium and the genus Hemicorallium was resurrected. This left two disjunct clades as Corallium, making that genus paraphyletic. One of the clades includes the type specimens of Corallium, indicating that clade should remain Corallium. For the other clade, we support the resurrection of the genus Pleurocorallium to fix the paraphyly of Corallium. Based on congruent phylogenies in both studies, the genus Pleurocorallium includes the species C. secundum, C. kishinouyei, C. konojoi, C. elatius, and C. niveum.