Holaxonia is a

suborder Order ( la, ordo) is one of the eight major hierarchical taxonomic ranks in Linnaean taxonomy. It is classified between family and class. In biological classification, the order is a taxonomic rank used in the classification of organisms and ...

of soft corals, a member of the

phylum In biology, a phylum (; plural: phyla) is a level of classification or taxonomic rank below kingdom and above class. Traditionally, in botany the term division has been used instead of phylum, although the International Code of Nomenclature f ...

Cnidaria Cnidaria () is a phylum under kingdom Animalia containing over 11,000 species of aquatic animals found both in freshwater and marine environments, predominantly the latter. Their distinguishing feature is cnidocytes, specialized cells that th ...

.Holaxonia
World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 2011-12-03. Members of this suborder are sometimes known as gorgonians and include the sea blades, the sea fans, the sea rods and the sea whips. These soft corals are colonial, sessile organisms and are generally tree-like in structure. They do not have a hard skeleton composed of calcium carbonate but have a firm but pliable, central axial skeleton composed of a fibrous

protein Proteins are large biomolecules and macromolecules that comprise one or more long chains of amino acid residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms, including catalysing metabolic reactions, DNA replication, respo ...

called

gorgonin Gorgonin is a complex protein that makes up the horny skeleton of the ''holaxonia'' suborder of gorgonians. It frequently contains appreciable quantities of bromine, iodine, and tyrosine. Scientific use Research has shown that measurements of the ...

embedded in a tissue matrix, the

coenenchyme Coenenchyme is the common tissue that surrounds and links the polyps in octocorals. It consists of mesoglea penetrated by tubes (''solenia'') and canals of the gastrodermis and contains sclerites, microscopic mineralised spicules of silica or of ca ...

. In some genera this is permeated with a calcareous substance in the form of fused spicules. Members of this suborder are characterized by having an unspiculated axis and often a soft, chambered central core.Suborder Holaxonia
Guide to the Shallow Water (0-200 m) Octocorals of the South Atlantic Bight. Retrieved 2011-12-05. The polyps have eight-fold symmetry and in many species, especially in the families

Gorgoniidae Gorgoniidae is a family of soft corals, a member of the subclass Octocorallia in the phylum Cnidaria. Nearly all the genera and species are native to the east and west coasts of America. Characteristics Originally the members of the family G ...

and

Plexauridae Plexauridae is a family of marine colonial octocorals in the phylum Cnidaria. Members of this family are found in shallow tropical and subtropical seas. Many species contain symbiotic photosynthetic protists called zooxanthellae. Characteristi ...

, contain

symbiotic Symbiosis (from Greek , , "living together", from , , "together", and , bíōsis, "living") is any type of a close and long-term biological interaction between two different biological organisms, be it mutualistic, commensalistic, or parasit ...

photosynthetic Photosynthesis is a process used by plants and other organisms to convert light energy into chemical energy that, through cellular respiration, can later be released to fuel the organism's activities. Some of this chemical energy is stored in c ...

algae called

zooxanthella Zooxanthellae is a colloquial term for single-celled dinoflagellates that are able to live in symbiosis with diverse marine invertebrates including demosponges, corals, jellyfish, and nudibranchs. Most known zooxanthellae are in the genus '' Sym ...

e. These soft corals are popular in salt water aquaria.Gorgonians (Holaxonia)
Saltcorner. Retrieved 2011-12-03.

Families and genera

The World Register of Marine Species list the following

families Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Ideall ...

and

genera Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nomenclat ...

: *Family

Acanthogorgiidae Acanthogorgiidae is a family of cnidarians belonging to the order Alcyonacea. Genera: * '' Acanthogorgia'' Gray, 1857 * '' Anthogorgia'' Verrill, 1868 * '' Ascolepis'' * '' Calcigorgia'' Broch, 1935 * '' Calicogorgia'' Thomson & Henderson, 1906 * ...

Gray, 1859 **Genus '' Acanthogorgia'' Gray, 1857 **Genus '' Anthogorgia'' Verrill, 1868 **Genus '' Calcigorgia'' Broch, 1935 **Genus '' Calicogorgia'' Thomson & Henderson, 1906 **Genus '' Callicigorgia'' **Genus '' Cyclomuricea'' Nutting, 1908 **Genus ''

Muricella ''Muricella'' is a genus of corals Corals are marine invertebrates within the class Anthozoa of the phylum Cnidaria. They typically form compact colonies of many identical individual polyps. Coral species include the important reef builders ...

'' Verrill, 1868 **Genus '' Versluysia'' Nutting, 1910 *Family Dendrobrachiidae Brook, 1889 **Genus '' Dendrobrachia'' Brook, 1889 *Family

Lamouroux, 1812 **Genus '' Adelogorgia'' Bayer, 1958 **Genus ''

Antillogorgia ''Antillogorgia'' is a genus of soft coral, sea fans in the family Gorgoniidae. Species The World Register of Marine Species lists the following species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an ...

'' Bayer, 1951 **Genus '' Eugorgia'' Verrill, 1868 **Genus ''

Eunicella ''Eunicella'' is a genus of coral in the family Gorgoniidae family. Species The World Register of Marine Species lists the following species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, a ...

'' Verrill, 1869 **Genus '' Filigorgia'' Stiasny, 1937 **Genus ''

Gorgonia ''Gorgonia'' is a genus of soft corals, sea fans in the family Gorgoniidae. Species The World Register of Marine Species lists these species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, ...

'' Linnaeus, 1758 **Genus '' Guaiagorgia'' Grasshoff & Alderslade, 1997 **Genus ''

Hicksonella ''Hicksonella'' is a genus of corals belonging to the family Gorgoniidae. The species of this genus are found in Malesia Malesia is a biogeographical region straddling the Equator and the boundaries of the Indomalayan and Australasian real ...

'' Nutting, 1910 **Genus ''

Leptogorgia ''Leptogorgia'' is a genus of soft coral in the family Gorgoniidae. The genus has a widespread distribution with members being found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean from Western Europe to South Africa, the Mediterranean Sea, the Atlantic coasts of ...

'' Milne-Edwards, 1857 **Genus '' Olindagorgia'' Bayer, 1981 **Genus '' Pacifigorgia'' Bayer, 1951 **Genus '' Phycogorgia'' Milne Edwards & Haime, 1850 **Genus '' Phyllogorgia'' Milne Edwards & Haime, 1850 **Genus '' Pinnigorgia'' Grasshoff & Alderslade, 1997 **Genus ''

Pseudopterogorgia ''Pseudopterogorgia'' is a genus of soft coral sea fans in the family Gorgoniidae Gorgoniidae is a family of soft corals, a member of the subclass Octocorallia in the phylum Cnidaria. Nearly all the genera and species are native to the eas ...

'' Kükenthal, 1919 **Genus '' Pterogorgia'' Ehrenberg, 1834 **Genus '' Rumphella'' Bayer, 1955 **Genus '' Tobagogorgia'' Sanchez, 2007 *Family Keroeididae Kinoshita, 1910 **Genus '' Ideogorgia'' Bayer, 1981 **Genus '' Keroeides'' Studer, 1887 **Genus '' Lignella'' Gray, 1870 **Genus '' Pseudothelogorgia'' (van Ofwegen, 1990) **Genus '' Thelogorgia'' Bayer, 1991 *Family

Gray, 1859 **Genus '' Acanthacis'' Deichmann, 1936 **Genus ''

Acanthomuricea ''Acanthomuricea'' is a genus of corals belonging to the family Plexauridae. The species of this genus are found in Malesia, Southern Africa Southern Africa is the southernmost subregion of the African continent, south of the Congo and Ta ...

'' Hentschel, 1903 **Genus '' Acis'' Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1860 **Genus '' Alaskagorgia'' Sánchez & Cairns, 2004 **Genus '' Anthomuricea'' Studer, 1887 **Genus '' Anthoplexaura'' Kükenthal, 1908 **Genus ''

Astrogorgia ''Astrogorgia'' is a genus of corals belonging to the family Plexauridae Plexauridae is a family of marine colonial octocorals in the phylum Cnidaria. Members of this family are found in shallow tropical and subtropical seas. Many species conta ...

'' Verrill, 1868 **Genus '' Astromuricea'' Germanos, 1895 **Genus ''

Bayergorgia ''Bayergorgia'' is a monotypic genus of corals belonging to the family Plexauridae Plexauridae is a family of marine colonial octocorals in the phylum Cnidaria. Members of this family are found in shallow tropical and subtropical seas. Many spe ...

'' Williams & Lopez-Gonzalez, 2005 **Genus ''

Bebryce ''Bebryce'' is a genus of gorgonian-type octocorals in the family Plexauridae Plexauridae is a family of marine colonial octocorals in the phylum Cnidaria. Members of this family are found in shallow tropical and subtropical seas. Many species ...

'' Philippi, 1841 **Genus '' Chromoplexaura'' Williams, 2013 **Genus '' Cryogorgia'' Williams, 2005 **Genus '' Dentomuricea'' Grasshoff, 1977 **Genus '' Discogorgia'' Kükenthal, 1919 **Genus ''

Echinogorgia ''Echinogorgia'' is a genus of corals belonging to the family Plexauridae Plexauridae is a family of marine colonial octocorals in the phylum Cnidaria. Members of this family are found in shallow tropical and subtropical seas. Many species cont ...

'' Kölliker, 1865 **Genus '' Echinomuricea'' Verrill, 1869 **Genus '' Elasmogorgia'' Wright & Studer, 1889 **Genus ''

Eunicea ''Eunicea'' is a genus of gorgonian-type octocorals in the family Plexauridae. These branched octocorals typically have knobby protuberances from which the polyps protrude. They are often stiffened by purple sclerites and some colonies, in bright ...

'' Lamouroux, 1816 **Genus '' Euplexaura'' Verrill, 1869 **Genus '' Heterogorgia'' Verrill, 1868 **Genus '' Hypnogorgia'' Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864 **Genus '' Lapidogorgia'' Grasshoff, 1999 **Genus '' Lepidomuricea'' Kükenthal, 1919 **Genus '' Lytreia'' Bayer, 1981 **Genus '' Menacella'' Gray, 1870 **Genus '' Menella'' Gray, 1870 **Genus '' Mesogligorgia'' Lopez-Gonzalez, 2007 **Genus '' Muricea'' Lamouroux, 1821 **Genus '' Muriceides'' Wright & Studer, 1889 **Genus '' Muriceopsis'' Aurivillius, 1931 **Genus '' Paracis'' Kükenthal, 1919 **Genus '' Paramuricea'' Koelliker, 1865 **Genus '' Paraplexaura'' Kükenthal, 1909 **Genus '' Placogorgia'' Wright & Studer, 1889 **Genus ''

Plexaura Medical Research Plexaura is a coral that has a large amount of prostaglandins making it a great natural source of a compound called Prostaglandin A2. Prostaglandins can be extracted from Plexaura using dichloromethane/methanol and a rotary evapo ...

'' Lamouroux, 1821 **Genus ''

Plexaurella ''Plexaurella'' is a genus of gorgonian-type Octocorallia, octocorals in the Family (biology), family Plexauridae. Species of the genus are typically characterised by their slit-pores, however, there are some which lack this distinguishing featur ...

'' Kölliker, 1865 **Genus '' Plexauroides'' Wright & Studer **Genus '' Plexauropsis'' Verrill **Genus '' Psammogorgia'' Verrill, 1868 **Genus '' Pseudoplexaura'' Wright & Studer, 1889 **Genus '' Pseudothesea'' Kükenthal, 1919 **Genus '' Scleracis'' Kükenthal, 1919 **Genus '' Spinimuricea'' Grasshoff, 1992 **Genus '' Swiftia'' Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864 **Genus '' Thesea'' Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1860 **Genus '' Trimuricea'' Gordon, 1926 **Genus '' Villogorgia'' Duchassaing & Michelloti, 1862

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q138322 Alcyonacea Cnidarian suborders

Families and genera

See also

References