Class Anthozoa  “Flower animals” Exclusively marine solitary or colonial Cnidarians in which the medusoid stage is completely absent and the polyp complex with a septate gastrovscular cavity.  Extraordinary range of forms and colors (Sea anemones, hard corals soft corals gorgonians and sea pens and pansies.)

Subclass Alcyinaria  (Octocorallia)* Polyp with eight hollow marginal pinnate tentacles and eight mesenteries, single siphonoglyph.   Exclusivly marine

• Order Stolonifera* (polyps arising from a creeping coenosarcal mat or stolon.  skeleton of calcareous tubes of separate calcareous spicules, or horny external cuticle.  Tropical and temperate oceans in shallow water.  Tubipora, Clavularia.)
• Order Helioporacea* (Contains only the Indopacific Blue corals, having a massive, blue due to iron salts, calcareous skeleton.  Only two genera Epiphaxum and Heliopora*.)
• Order Telestacea (Lateral polyps on simple or branched stems.  Skeleton of calcareous spicules.  Coelogorgia, Paratelsto, Telesto, Testula)
• Order Alcyonacea* (Soft corals.  Coenenchyme forming a rubbery mass with upright elongated polyps completely embedded in the coenosarc.  Colony may have a massive mushroom shape or an encrusting growth form.  Skeleton of calcareous spicules.  Largely tropical.  Alcyonium*, Anthomastus, Ceratocaulon, Gersemia, Sarcophyton*, Lobophyton*, , Sinularia*, Capenella*, Cladella*)
• Holaxonia (Gorgonacea)* (Horny corals.  Sea fans and sea whips.  Common tropical and subtropical octocorrallian cnidarians having a largely upright plant-like growth form and an axial skeleton of a horny organic material.  Separate or fused calcareous spicules may also be present.  Acanthogorgia, Briareum, Corallium, Eugorgia, Eunicella*, Gorgonia*, Leptogorgonia, Psammogorgia, Swiftia, Muricea)
• Scleraxonia (Gorgonacea*) Precious corals.  Less common deeper tropical waters  Octocorrallian cnidarians having a largely upright plant-like growth form and an axial skeleton of a compacted spicules., Corallium*,
• Order Pennatulacea * (Sea pens.  Colony having a fleshy flattened or elongate body, or rachis.  Skeleton of calcareous spicules.  Anthoptilum, Balticina, Cavernularia, Funiculina, Stylatula*, Veretillum, Renilla*, Umbellula, Virgularia)

September 29, 2013