Clathraria

Clathraria
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Cnidaria
Class: Anthozoa
Subclass: Octocorallia
Order: Alcyonacea
Suborder: Scleraxonia
Family: Melithaeidae
Genus: Clathraria
Gray, 1859 [1]
Species: See text

Clathraria is a genus of corals in the family Melithaeidae. Members of the genus are commonly known as sea fans and are found in tropical regions of the Indo-Pacific. The type species is Clathraria rubrinodis.[2]

Description

Members of the genus Clathraria are arborescent colonial corals forming fans or bushes. The axis or main skeletal "trunk" is jointed, there being nodes, flexible horny joints, separated by internodes composed of hard, calcareous material. The branches divide off at the nodes which are often swollen. The minute calcareous spicules in the flexible membrane called the mesoglea that covers the skeleton are called sclerites. The identity of these spicules is important for identification purposes and in this genus they are predominantly foliate capstans and foliate spheroids, but also include plain spindles, plain capstans and small clubs. In the corallites, the cups surrounding the polyps, the sclerites include longer clubs. Members of this genus do not have the unicellular symbiotic algae Zooxanthellae in their tissues that many other corals do. Colonies vary in colour but tend to be white or shades of yellow, ochre, orange, red and brown. The nodes and internodes are often contrasting colours.[2]

Species

The World Register of Marine Species includes the following species in the genus: [1]

  • Clathraria acuta Gray, 1870
  • Clathraria akalyx Kükenthal, 1908
  • Clathraria atrorubens (Gray, 1870)
  • Clathraria elongata (Gray, 1859)
  • Clathraria maldivensis van Ofwegen, 1987
  • Clathraria omanensis van Ofwegen, 1987
  • Clathraria planiloca (Ridley, 1888)
  • Clathraria robusta Kükenthal, 1919
  • Clathraria roemeri Kükenthal, 1908
  • Clathraria rubrinodis Gray, 1859

References

  1. 1 2 van Ofwegen, Leen (2010). "Clathraria Gray, 1859". World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 2012-02-22.
  2. 1 2 Genus Clathraria Marine Species Identification Portal. Retrieved 2012-02-22.
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