Echinoptilidae
Appearance
| Echinoptilidae | |
|---|---|
| Actinoptilum molle | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Cnidaria |
| Subphylum: | Anthozoa |
| Class: | Octocorallia |
| Order: | Scleralcyonacea |
| Superfamily: | Pennatuloidea |
| Family: | Echinoptilidae Hubrecht, 1885 |
Echinoptilidae is a family of sea pens, a member of the subclass Octocorallia in the phylum Cnidaria.
Characteristics
[edit]Colonies are cylindrical without axis, and the rachis is generally longer than the peduncle. The colony may be radially or bilaterally symmetrical. Autozooids have non-retractile, bifurcated calyces with many sclerites.[1]
Distribution
[edit]Indo-West Pacific to south western Africa in shallow sublittoral to over 800m depth.[1]
Genera
[edit]The World Register of Marine Species list the following genera:[2]
- Genus Actinoptilum Kükenthal, 1911
- Genus Echinoptilum Hubrecht, 1885
References
[edit]- 1 2 The Pennatulacea of Southern Africa (Coelentrata, Anthozoa), Annals of the South African Museum Volume 99 May 1990 part 4, Cape Town. ISBN 0 86813 109 1
- ↑ van Ofwegen, L. (2012). Echinoptilidae. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=196247 on 2013-04-19