genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...
of colonial
stony coral
Scleractinia, also called stony corals or hard corals, are marine animals in the phylum Cnidaria that build themselves a hard skeleton. The individual animals are known as polyps and have a cylindrical body crowned by an oral disc in which a ...
in the family
Oculinidae
Oculinidae is a family of colonial corals.
Characteristics
Members of the family Oculinidae are characterised by having the walls of the corallites (the cups which house the polyps) being composed of solid walled though rather fragile tubes con ...
. These corals are mostly found in the
Caribbean Sea
The Caribbean Sea ( es, Mar Caribe; french: Mer des Caraïbes; ht, Lanmè Karayib; jam, Kiaribiyan Sii; nl, Caraïbische Zee; pap, Laman Karibe) is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean in the tropics of the Western Hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico ...
, the
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico ( es, Golfo de México) is an oceanic basin, ocean basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, largely surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of ...
and
Bermuda
)
, anthem = "God Save the King"
, song_type = National song
, song = " Hail to Bermuda"
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, mapsize2 =
, map_caption2 =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name =
, e ...
Family Oculinidae: ''Oculina'' Horizon. Retrieved 2011-12-15. but some species occur in the eastern Pacific Ocean. They occur at depths down to 1000 metres.
Description
The colonies of ''Oculina'' have a straggly branching structure and are mostly pale yellow. The branches are slim, not exceeding in diameter. The corallites which house the polyps are widely separated. Their walls are composed of fragile, solid-walled tubes. Each
corallite
A corallite is the skeletal cup, formed by an individual stony coral polyp, in which the polyp sits and into which it can retract. The cup is composed of aragonite, a crystalline form of calcium carbonate, and is secreted by the polyp. Corallit ...
has 12 primary
septa
The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) is a regional public transportation authority that operates bus, rapid transit, commuter rail, light rail, and electric trolleybus services for nearly 4 million people in five coun ...
with fine teeth which partially project from the corallite wall and which are larger than the intermediate septa. Some species contain symbiotic
microalgae
Microalgae or microphytes are microscopic algae invisible to the naked eye. They are phytoplankton typically found in freshwater and marine systems, living in both the water column and sediment. They are unicellular species which exist indiv ...
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 ''Symbi ...
e.
Species
The World Register of Marine Species lists the following species:
* ''
Oculina arbuscula
''Oculina arbuscula'' is a branching temperate coral found along the east coast of the United States from Florida to North Carolina. It has a facultative symbiosis with microalgae of the family Symbiodiniaceae. Unlike tropical corals, ''O. arbuscu ...
'' Agassiz, 1864
* ''
Oculina diffusa
''Oculina diffusa'', commonly known as the diffuse ivory bush coral or ivory tree coral, is found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Caribbean Sea. It is found in shallow water, usually down to deep but occasionally as ...
'' Lamarck, 1816 - zooxanthellate
* †''
Oculina halensis
''Oculina'' is a genus of colonial stony coral in the family Oculinidae. These corals are mostly found in the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico and BermudaOculina patagonica
''Oculina'' is a genus of colonial stony coral in the family Oculinidae. These corals are mostly found in the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico and BermudaOculina profunda
''Oculina'' is a genus of colonial stony coral in the family Oculinidae. These corals are mostly found in the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico and BermudaOculina robusta
''Oculina'' is a genus of colonial stony coral in the family Oculinidae. These corals are mostly found in the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico and BermudaOculina tenella
''Oculina'' is a genus of colonial stony coral in the family Oculinidae. These corals are mostly found in the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico and BermudaOculina umbellata
''Oculina'' is a genus of colonial stony coral in the family Oculinidae. These corals are mostly found in the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico and BermudaOculina valenciennesi
''Oculina'' is a genus of colonial stony coral in the family Oculinidae. These corals are mostly found in the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico and BermudaOculina varicosa
''Oculina varicosa'', or the ivory bush coral, is a scleractinian deep-water coral primarily found at depths of 70-100m, and ranges from Bermuda and Cape Hatteras to the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean. ''Oculina varicosa'' flourishes at the ...
'' Lesueur, 1821 Ivory bush coral - zooxanthellate
* ''