Holotype NMV F91338 small infertile colony of five small stems, two branched, on dead primnoid gorgonian, malinol-mounted microslide. 1422 m depth, off Macquarie Island [52°59.4'S, 159°59'E - 53°2'S, 159°58.2'E].
The specific name, ‘minuta’ describes the minute nature of the colonies.
(Description from Holotype)
Tallest stem 9 mm high, broken off at tip, 3.5 mm wide at base; stems branched once in one plane; branched stems arising from a small matted plug of stolons, simple stems from junction of stolonal tubes; taller stems with up to four polysiphonic tubes intergrown and rather contorted proximally, becoming linear distally; polysiphonic tubes running almost to top of stems; stems lightly fascicled; branches given off beside a hydrotheca.
Hydrothecae biseriate, alternate, long, tubular, somewhat frontally directed, scarcely overlapping, curving gracefully outwards at an angle of 50–60° from hydrocladial axis; single hydrothecae on proximal region of larger stems partially immersed in fascicular tubes. Adcauline hydrothecal wall smoothly convex, free wall slightly more than half length of adnate wall; adnate wall narrowing proximally downwards into hydrocladium, base of wall ending in minute knot of perisarc; abcauline wall smoothly concave, passing without interruption into hydrocladium. Margin evenly circular, transverse to hydrothecal axis, very weakly everted, sometimes with several replications of rim. Perisarc of stem and branches firm, thinning a little on hydrotheca.
Hydranths deeply retracted into hydrotheca; with c. 12 tentacles.
Colour: Pale honey-yellow to colourless.
Macquarie Island, Australia.
Deep sea (>1000 m), epizoic on gorgonians.