Plexauridae Characteristics
The Plexauridae have a branching colony form and many are known as sea rods or sea fans. The axial core of the coral skeleton is horny and hollow, and contains no sclerites. This is covered by a layer of tissue called coenenchyme in which is embedded calcareous sclerites . The sclerites are very varied in form in the Plexauridae, and examination of their morphology is helpful in identifying the different species. The calyces in which the polyps sit are strengthened by further sclerites and have eight fine dividing walls called septa . The polyps each have eight pinnate tentacles.
Genera
The World Register of Marine Species includes these genera in this family:
Octocorallia , the family also contained the following genera:
Acanthacis Deichmann, 1936 (moved to Acanthogorgiidae )Acanthomuricea Hentschel, 1903 (moved to Astrogorgiidae )Acis Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1860 Alaskagorgia Sánchez & Cairns, 2004 Anthomuricea Studer, 1887 (moved to Acanthogorgiidae)Anthoplexaura Kükenthal, 1908 (moved to Astrogorgiidae)Astrogorgia Verrill, 1868 (moved to Astrogorgiidae)Astromuricea Germanos, 1895 (moved to Astrogorgiidae)Bayergorgia Williams & Lopez-Gonzalez, 2005 Bebryce Philippi, 1841 (moved to Astrogorgiidae)Chromoplexaura Williams, 2013 (moved to Gorgoniidae )Cryogorgia Williams, 2005 Dentomuricea Grasshoff, 1977 (moved to Astrogorgiidae)Discogorgia Kükenthal, 1919 (moved to Astrogorgiidae)Echinogorgia Kölliker, 1865 (moved to Astrogorgiidae)Echinomuricea Verrill, 1869 (moved to Astrogorgiidae)Elasmogorgia Wright & Studer, 1889 Euplexaura Verrill, 1869 (moved to Euplexauridae )Heterogorgia Verrill, 1868 (moved to Astrogorgiidae)Hypnogorgia Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864 Lapidogorgia Grasshoff, 1999 (moved to Astrogorgiidae)Lepidomuricea Kükenthal, 1919 (moved to Astrogorgiidae)Lytreia Bayer, 1981 (moved to Astrogorgiidae)Menacella Gray, 1870 (moved to Astrogorgiidae)Menella Gray, 1870 (moved to Astrogorgiidae)Mesogligorgia Lopez-Gonzalez, 2007 Muriceides Wright & Studer, 1889 (moved to Astrogorgiidae)Muriceopsis Aurivillius, 1931 Paracis Kükenthal, 1919 Paramuricea Koelliker, 1865 (moved to Astrogorgiidae)Paraplexaura Kükenthal, 1909 (moved to Astrogorgiidae)Placogorgia Wright & Studer, 1889 (moved to Astrogorgiidae)Plexaurella Kölliker, 1865 Plexauroides Wright & Studer Plexauropsis Verrill (included in Plexaura )Psammogorgia Verrill, 1868 (moved to Gorgoniidae)Pseudothesea Kükenthal, 1919 Scleracis Kükenthal, 1919 Spinimuricea Grasshoff, 1992 (moved to Astrogorgiidae)Thesea Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1860 Trimuricea Gordon, 1926 (moved to Astrogorgiidae)Villogorgia Duchassaing & Michelloti, 1862 (moved to Astrogorgiidae)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Genera left family incertae sedis due to insufficient molecular or morphological evidence.
Eunicea mammosa Bebryce sulfurea References
↑ van Ofwegen, Leen (2012). "Plexauridae" . WoRMS . World Register of Marine Species . Retrieved 2012-12-19 . ↑ S. T. DeVictor & S. L. Morton (2007). "Family Plexauridae" . Guide to the Shallow Water Octocorals of the South Atlantic Bight . Retrieved 2012-12-19 . ↑ World List of Octocorallia. McFadden, C.S.; Cordeiro, R.; Samimi-Namin, K.; Williams, G.; van Ofwegen, L. (eds.). "Plexauridae Gray, 1859" . World Register of Marine Species . Retrieved 6 September 2025 . 1 2 McFadden, Catherine S.; Van Ofwegen, Leen P.; Quattrini, Andrea M. (2022). "Revisionary systematics of Octocorallia (Cnidaria: Anthozoa) guided by phylogenomics" . Bulletin of the Society of Systematic Biologists . 1 (3). doi :10.18061/bssb.v1i3.8735 ↑ "WoRMS - World Register of Marine Species - Plexauridae Gray, 1859" . marinespecies.org . Archived from the original on 31 March 2018. Retrieved 2018-03-31 .
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