Holaxonia

Holaxonia
Pinnigorgia sp.
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Cnidaria
Class:	Anthozoa
Subclass:	Octocorallia
Order:	Alcyonacea
Suborder:	Holaxonia Studer, 1887
Families
See text

Paramuricea sp.

Eunicea sp.

Holaxonia is a suborder of soft corals, a member of the phylum Cnidaria.^[1] Members of this suborder are sometimes known as gorgonians and include the sea blades, the sea fans, the sea rods and the sea whips. These soft corals are colonial, sessile organisms and are generally tree-like in structure. They do not have a hard skeleton composed of calcium carbonate but have a firm but pliable, central axial skeleton composed of a fibrous protein called gorgonin embedded in a tissue matrix, the coenenchyme. In some genera this is permeated with a calcareous substance in the form of fused spicules. Members of this suborder are characterized by having an unspiculated axis and often a soft, chambered central core.^[2] The polyps have eight-fold symmetry and in many species, especially in the families Gorgoniidae and Plexauridae, contain symbiotic photosynthetic algae called zooxanthellae. These soft corals are popular in salt water aquaria.^[3][4]

Families and genera

The World Register of Marine Species list the following families and genera:^[1]

Family Acanthogorgiidae Gray, 1859 Genus Acanthogorgia Gray, 1857 Genus Anthogorgia Verrill, 1868 Genus Calcigorgia Broch, 1935 Genus Calicogorgia Thomson & Henderson, 1906 Genus Callicigorgia Genus Cyclomuricea Nutting, 1908 Genus Muricella Verrill, 1868 Genus Versluysia Nutting, 1910 Family Gorgoniidae Lamouroux, 1812 Genus Adelogorgia Bayer, 1958 Genus Eugorgia Verrill, 1868 Genus Eunicella Verrill, 1869 Genus Filigorgia Stiasny, 1937 Genus Gorgonia Linnaeus, 1758 Genus Guaiagorgia Grasshoff & Alderslade, 1997 Genus Hicksonella Nutting, 1910 Genus Leptogorgia Milne-Edwards, 1857 Genus Lophogorgia Milne-Edwards, 1857 Genus Olindagorgia Bayer, 1981 Genus Pacifigorgia Bayer, 1951 Genus Phycogorgia Milne Edwards & Haime, 1850 Genus Phyllogorgia Milne Edwards & Haime, 1850 Genus Pinnigorgia Grasshoff & Alderslade, 1997 Genus Antillogorgia Williams and Chen (2012), reasigned from Pseudopterogorgia Kükenthal, 1919 Genus Pterogorgia Ehrenberg, 1834 Genus Tobagogorgia Sanchez, 2007 Family Keroeididae Kinoshita, 1910 Genus Ideogorgia Bayer, 1981 Genus Keroeides Studer, 1887 Genus Lignella Gray, 1870 Genus Pseudothelogorgia (van Ofwegen, 1990) Genus Thelogorgia Bayer, 1991

Family Plexauridae Gray, 1859 Genus Acanthacis Deichmann, 1936 Genus Acanthomuricea Hentschel, 1903 Genus Alaskagorgia Sánchez & Cairns, 2004 Genus Anthomuricea Studer, 1887 Genus Anthoplexaura Kükenthal, 1908 Genus Astrogorgia Verrill, 1868 Genus Astromuricea Germanos, 1895 Genus Bayergorgia Williams & Lopez-Gonzalez, 2005 Genus Bebryce Philippi, 1841 Genus Cryogorgia Williams, 2005 Genus Dentomuricea Grasshoff, 1977 Genus Discogorgia Kükenthal, 1919 Genus Echinogorgia Kölliker, 1865 Genus Echinomuricea Verrill, 1869 Genus Elasmogorgia Wright & Studer, 1889 Genus Eunicea Lamouroux, 1816 Genus Euplexaura Verrill, 1869 Genus Heterogorgia Verrill, 1868 Genus Hypnogorgia Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864 Genus Lapidogorgia Grasshoff, 1999 Genus Lepidomuricea Kükenthal, 1919 Genus Lytreia Bayer, 1981 Genus Menacella Gray, 1870 Genus Menella Gray, 1870 Genus Mesogligorgia Lopez-Gonzalez, 2007 Genus Muricea Lamouroux, 1821 Genus Muriceides Wright & Studer, 1889 Genus Muriceopsis Aurivillius, 1931 Genus Paracis Kükenthal, 1919 Genus Paramuricea Koelliker, 1865 Genus Paraplexaura Kükenthal, 1909 Genus Placogorgia Wright & Studer, 1889 Genus Plexaura Lamouroux, 1821 Genus Plexaurella Kölliker, 1865 Genus Psammogorgia Verrill, 1868 Genus Pseudoplexaura Wright & Studer, 1889 Genus Pseudothesea Kükenthal, 1919 Genus Rumphella Bayer, 1955 Genus Scleracis Kükenthal, 1919 Genus Spinimuricea Grasshoff, 1992 Genus Swiftia Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864 Genus Thesea Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1860 Genus Trichogorgia Hickson, 1904 Genus Trimuricea Gordon, 1926 Genus Villogorgia Duchassaing & Michelloti, 1862

See also

• Leptogorgia virgulata

References

1. Holaxonia World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 2011-12-03.
2. Suborder Holaxonia Guide to the Shallow Water (0-200 m) Octocorals of the South Atlantic Bight. Retrieved 2011-12-05.
3. Gorgonians (Holaxonia) Saltcorner. Retrieved 2011-12-03.
4. Gorgonians Animal-World. Retrieved 2011-12-03.