en Biology & physiology Biology & physiology پژوهشي Orginal research papers <span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:120%"><span style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span lang="TR" style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="line-height:120%"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""><span style="color:black">The present </span></span></span></span><span lang="EN" style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="line-height:120%"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""><span style="color:black">investigation aimed to study the anatomical characteristics of </span></span></span></span><i><span lang="TR" style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="line-height:120%"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""><span style="color:black">Virgularia gustaviana</span></span></span></span></i><span lang="TR" style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="line-height:120%"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""><span style="color:black"> (Herklots, 1863) from the Strait of Hormuz in the northwest of the Persian Gulf.</span></span></span></span><span lang="EN" style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="line-height:120%"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""><span style="color:black"> In this regard, </span></span></span></span><span lang="TR" style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="line-height:120%"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""><span style="color:black">25 sea pens, </span></span></span></span><span lang="EN" style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="line-height:120%"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""><span style="color:black">which were identified as </span></span></span></span><i><span lang="TR" style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="line-height:120%"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""><span style="color:black">V</span></span></span></span></i><i><span lang="TR" style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="line-height:120%"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""><span style="color:black">. gustaviana</span></span></span></span></i> <span lang="EN" style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="line-height:120%"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""><span style="color:black">(Herklots, 1863), were collected from</span></span></span></span><span lang="TR" style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="line-height:120%"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""><span style="color:black"> the intertidal zone of the Suru and </span></span></span></span><em><span lang="TR" style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="line-height:120%"><span style="color:black">Bandar Abbas</span></span></span></em><span lang="TR" style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="line-height:120%"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""><span style="color:black"> coasts (the northeast of the Persian Gulf). </span></span></span></span><span lang="TR" style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="line-height:120%"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""><span style="color:black">The samples were fixed in </span></span></span></span><span lang="EN" style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="line-height:120%"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""><span style="color:black">the alcohol formalin glacial acetic (AFA) fixative</span></span></span></span><span lang="TR" style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="line-height:120%"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""><span style="color:black"> for a week and were then studied using a stereomicroscope. </span></span></span></span><span lang="EN" style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="line-height:120%"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""><span style="color:black">According to the results, the body of <i>V. gustavia</i> anatomically consisted of two main parts (rachis and peduncle), both of which originate from a primary polyp. The rachis was the upper part of the body with leaf-like leaves.</span></span></span></span> <span lang="EN" style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="line-height:120%"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""><span style="color:black">The peduncle, with a smooth, straightforward structure, was the lower part of the body. The caudal part of the peduncle was bubble-like. A mineralized axis was observed at the center along the body, surrounded by mesenteric septa. Although all sea pens share the same basic anatomical structure, colony shape varies considerably in different species in terms of evolution.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span> Virgularia gustaviana, Pennatulaceans, Sea pens anatomy, Rachis 51 59 http://jifro.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-57-6&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Z. Rezaei Rezaeizeynab@gmail.com 100319475328460051263 100319475328460051263 No Department of Marine Biology, Faculty of Marine Sciences, Khorramshahr University of Marine Science and Technology, Khorramshahr, Iran. A. Movahedinia aliMovahedinia@yahoo.com 100319475328460051264 100319475328460051264 No Department of Marine Biology, Faculty of Marine Sciences, University of Mazandaran, Babolsar, Iran. N. Salamat salamatnegin@yahoo.com 100319475328460051265 100319475328460051265 Yes Department of Marine Biology, Faculty of Marine Sciences, Khorramshahr University of Marine Science and Technology, Khorramshahr, Iran. M. Ranjbar ranjbarmohamad@gmail.com 100319475328460051266 100319475328460051266 No Department of Marine Biology, Faculty of Marine Sciences, Hormozgan University, Bandar Abas, Iran.