''Corynactis'' is a
genus of colonial
anthozoa
Anthozoa is a subphylum of marine invertebrates which includes the sea anemones, Scleractinia, stony corals and Alcyonacea, soft corals. Adult anthozoans are almost all attached to the seabed, while their larvae can disperse as part of the plank ...
ns similar in appearance to
sea anemone
Sea anemones are a group of predation, predatory marine invertebrates of the order (biology), order Actiniaria. Because of their colourful appearance, they are named after the ''Anemone'', a terrestrial flowering plant. Sea anemones are classifi ...
s and in body format to
scleractinian stony corals. These animals are
cnidarian
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 ...
s in the
family Corallimorphidae. Large unidentified polyps of this genus feed on the crown-of-thorns seastar ''
Acanthaster planci'' and may help control the crown-of-thorns population.
Species
Species so far described in this genus include:
*''
Corynactis annulata''
Verrill, 1867
*''
Corynactis australis
''Corynactis'' is a genus of colonial anthozoans similar in appearance to sea anemones and in body format to scleractinian stony corals. These animals are cnidarians in the family Corallimorphidae. Large unidentified polyps of this genus feed ...
''
Haddon & Duerden, 1896
*''
Corynactis caboverdensis
''Corynactis'' is a genus of colonial anthozoans similar in appearance to sea anemones and in body format to scleractinian stony corals. These animals are cnidarians in the family Corallimorphidae. Large unidentified polyps of this genus feed on ...
''
den Hartog, Ocaña & Brito, 1993
*''
Corynactis californica''
Carlgren, 1936
*''
Corynactis caribbeorum
''Corynactis'' is a genus of colonial anthozoans similar in appearance to sea anemones and in body format to scleractinian stony corals. These animals are cnidarians in the family Corallimorphidae. Large unidentified polyps of this genus feed ...
''
den Hartog, 1980
*''
Corynactis carnea
''Corynactis'' is a genus of colonial anthozoans similar in appearance to sea anemones and in body format to scleractinian stony corals. These animals are cnidarians in the family Corallimorphidae. Large unidentified polyps of this genus feed ...
''
Studer, 1879
*''
Corynactis chilensis
''Corynactis'' is a genus of colonial anthozoans similar in appearance to sea anemones and in body format to scleractinian stony corals. These animals are cnidarians in the family Corallimorphidae. Large unidentified polyps of this genus feed ...
''
Carlgren, 1941
*''
Corynactis delawarei
''Corynactis'' is a genus of colonial anthozoans similar in appearance to sea anemones and in body format to scleractinian stony corals. These animals are cnidarians in the family Corallimorphidae. Large unidentified polyps of this genus feed ...
''
Widersten, 1976
*''
Corynactis denhartogi
''Corynactis'' is a genus of colonial anthozoans similar in appearance to sea anemones and in body format to scleractinian stony corals. These animals are cnidarians in the family Corallimorphidae. Large unidentified polyps of this genus feed ...
''
Ocaña, 2003
*''
Corynactis denticulosa
''Corynactis'' is a genus of colonial anthozoans similar in appearance to sea anemones and in body format to scleractinian stony corals. These animals are cnidarians in the family Corallimorphidae. Large unidentified polyps of this genus feed ...
''
Le Sueur, 1817
*''
Corynactis globulifera
''Corynactis'' is a genus of colonial anthozoans similar in appearance to sea anemones and in body format to scleractinian stony corals. These animals are cnidarians in the family Corallimorphidae. Large unidentified polyps of this genus feed ...
''
Hemprich & Ehrenberg in Ehrenberg, 1834
*''
Corynactis parvula
''Corynactis'' is a genus of colonial anthozoans similar in appearance to sea anemones and in body format to scleractinian stony corals. These animals are cnidarians in the family Corallimorphidae. Large unidentified polyps of this genus feed ...
''
Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1860
*''
Corynactis sanmatiensis
''Corynactis'' is a genus of colonial anthozoans similar in appearance to sea anemones and in body format to scleractinian stony corals. These animals are cnidarians in the family Corallimorphidae. Large unidentified polyps of this genus feed ...
''
(Zamponi, 1976)
*''
Corynactis viridis
''Corynactis viridis'', the jewel anemone, is a brightly coloured anthozoan similar in body form to a sea anemone or a scleractinian coral polyp, but in the order Corallimorpharia. It is found in the northeastern Atlantic Ocean and the Medite ...
''
Allman, 1846
Feeding
''Corynactis'', like other corals in the phylum
Corallimorpharia
Corallimorpharia is an order of marine cnidarians closely related to stony or reef building corals (Scleractinia). They occur in both temperate and tropical climates, although they are mostly tropical. Temperate forms tend to be very robust, wit ...
, depend highly on their production of
zooxanthellae and numerous animals which find themselves trapped by the oral disk as benthic invertebrates, crustaceans, worms, echinoderms and even fishes. They are very aggressive eaters, which allows for them to feed on larger particles in the water column.
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q2998197
Corallimorphidae
Hexacorallia genera