Coralliidae
| Coralliidae | |
|---|---|
| |
| Corallium rubrum | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Cnidaria |
| Class: | Octocorallia |
| Order: | Alcyonacea |
| Suborder: | Scleraxonia |
| Family: | Coralliidae Lamouroux, 1812 |
| Genera | |
|
see text | |
Coralliidae, also known as red or pink coral, is a taxonomic family of corals belonging to the phylum Cnidaria. This family is composed of 3 genera, Corallium, Paracorallium, Hemicorallium and currently includes 39 species around the world with a higher diversity in the Pacific Ocean.
Description
This group of calcifying corals display a wide diversity of mineral skeletons including skeletal structures composed of different calcium carbonate polymorphs. Animals of this class have a simple cup shaped body that consists of two layers of cells, sloping peripheral platforms and wide axial pits. The presence of cnidocytes which are stinging cells that are used both to capture prey and for defense is prominent. The endoskeleton of this coral is composed of tiny stick-like calcium carbonate rods that have been fused together to form a rigid structure which may be colored red, pink or white. On the surface of these corals, branches are composed in length of 3mm to 5mm diverging in different directions Colonies range in color from bright red to pale pink or white and have white polyps.
References
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