''Xenia'' is a genus of photosynthetic soft marine

coral 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 that inhabit tropical oceans and ...

in the family

Xeniidae Xeniidae is a family of soft coral in the order Alcyonacea. Predators Predatory sea slugs of the genus '' Phyllodesmium'' are reported to feed on Xeniidae species. Representatives of this family have been observed to provide shelter to juvenil ...

. They resemble a

mushroom A mushroom or toadstool is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground, on soil, or on its food source. ''Toadstool'' generally denotes one poisonous to humans. The standard for the name "mushroom" is ...

, with "arms" coming out from the top that end in many-fingered "hands". It is unique among corals because of its ability to use its "hands" to "pulse" or push water away from the colony in a constant, grabbing motion. Common names include fast-pulse Xenia. Species of Xenia are sometimes referred to as pulse corals.

Species

The

World Register of Marine Species The World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) is a taxonomic database that aims to provide an authoritative and comprehensive list of names of marine organisms. Content The content of the registry is edited and maintained by scientific specialis ...

lists the following species: *'' Xenia actuosa'' Verseveldt & Tursch, 1979 *'' Xenia amparoi'' Roxas, 1933 *'' Xenia antarctica'' Kükenthal, 1902 *'' Xenia bauiana'' May, 1899 *'' Xenia crassa'' Schenk, 1896 *'' Xenia crispitentaculata'' Verseveldt, 1977 *'' Xenia cylindrica'' Roxas, 1933 *'' Xenia danae'' Verrill, 1869 *'' Xenia dayi'' Tixier-Durivault, 1959 *'' Xenia delicata'' Roxas, 1933 *'' Xenia depressa'' Kükenthal, 1909 *'' Xenia distorta'' Tixier-Durivault, 1966 *'' Xenia elongata'' Dana, 1846 *'' Xenia fimbriata'' Utinomi, 1955 *'' Xenia fisheri'' Roxas, 1933 *'' Xenia flava'' Roxas, 1933 *'' Xenia florida'' (Lesson, 1826) *'' Xenia fusca'' Schenk, 1896 *'' Xenia garciae'' Bourne, 1894 *'' Xenia grasshoffi'' Verseveldt, 1974 *'' Xenia hicksoni'' Ashworth, 1899 *'' Xenia humilis'' Verseveldt, 1977 *'' Xenia intermedia'' Roxas, 1933 *'' Xenia kukenthali'' Roxas, 1933 *'' Xenia kusimotoensis'' Utinomi, 1955 *'' Xenia lepida'' Verseveldt, 1971 *'' Xenia lillieae'' Roxas, 1933 *'' Xenia medusoides'' May, 1899 *'' Xenia membranacea'' Schenk, 1896 *'' Xenia mucosa'' Verseveldt & Tursch, 1979 *'' Xenia multipinnata'' (Tixier-Durivault, 1966) *'' Xenia multispiculata'' Kükenthal, 1909 *'' Xenia nana'' Hickson, 1930 *'' Xenia novaebritanniae'' Ashworth, 1900 *'' Xenia novaecaledoniae'' Verseveldt, 1974 *'' Xenia plicata'' Schenk, 1896 *'' Xenia puertogalerae'' Roxas, 1933 *'' Xenia pulsitans'' Kent, 1893 *'' Xenia quinqueserta'' May, 1899 *'' Xenia rubens'' Schenk, 1896 *'' Xenia samoensis'' Kölliker *'' Xenia sansibariana'' May, 1899 *'' Xenia schenki'' Roxas, 1933 *'' Xenia sexseriata'' Verseveldt, 1977 *'' Xenia spicata'' Li, 1982 *'' Xenia stellifera'' Verseveldt, 1977 *'' Xenia ternatana'' Schenk, 1896 *'' Xenia tripartita'' Roxas, 1933 *'' Xenia tumbatuana'' May, 1898 *'' Xenia umbellata'' Lamarck, 1816 *'' Xenia viridis'' Schenk, 1896 *'' Xenia viridus'' Schenk, 1896

References

Xeniidae Octocorallia genera {{Octocorallia-stub