Subclass OCTOCORALLIA Haeckel, 1866

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Introduction

Members of the subclass Octocorallia, commonly known as octocorals, are the more primitive of the Anthozoans. They derive their name from the presence of eight pinnate (feathered) tentacles that surround the mouth of the polyp and eight unpaired mesenteries. Octocorals are an extremely diverse group of animals characterised by small secretions of calcium carbonate (spicules or sclerites) within the tissue. Octocorals are solitary or colonial and include the soft corals, fan and whip corals, sea pens and blue and red coral. They contribute indirectly to the reef by the contribution of spicules to the unconsolidated calcareous sediments that over time become incorporated into the overall limestone reef structure.

General References

Alderslade, P., Althaus, F., McEnnulty, F., Gowlett-Holmes, K. & Williams, A. 2014. Australia's deep-water octocoral fauna: historical account and checklist, distributions and regional affinities of recent collections. Zootaxa 3796(3): 435–452

Verseveldt, J. 1977. Australian Octocorallia (Coelenterata). Australian Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 28: 171-240

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