Brachycnemina

Brachycnemina
Zoanthus colony
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Cnidaria
Class: Anthozoa
Subclass: Hexacorallia
Order: Zoantharia
Suborder: Brachycnemina
Haddon & Shackleton, 1891
Families

Neozoanthidae Herberts, 1972
Sphenopidae Hertwig, 1882
Zoanthidae Rafinesque, 1815

Brachycnemina is a suborder within the Zoantharia order (third largest of Hexacorallia) of Cnidarians.[1] Genetic analysis has been used to suggest Brachycnemina is a monophyletic group diverging within the paraphyletic Macrocnemina.[1]

Characteristics

Brachycnemia species habitate most environments, ranging from shallow tropical reefs to cold seeps in the deep sea. It forms large colonies on intertidal and shallow reef crests.[2] Due to the members of this suborder being loosely collected, there are no standard characteristics uniting them besides slight morphological, ecological and phylogenetic differences.[3]

Subdivisions

This suborder counts with 3 taxonomic families, mainly Neozoanthidae, which is monogeneric and monospecific, known only from Madagascar; Sphenopidae, which includes sand-encrusted and colonial specimens like the commonly found Palythoa and Sphenopus, itself found in a few discrete areas; and Zoanthidae, whose belonging species do not show sand encrustation.[2] A total of 6 known genera and over 163 species are comprised within the Brachycnemina.[4] Palythoa and Zoanthus are two of the most common coral genera and are intensively studied for their bioactive compounds.[2]

References

  1. 1 2 Sinniger, F.; Montoya-Burgos, J. I.; Chevaldonné, P.; Pawlowski, J. (2005). "Phylogeny of the order Zoantharia (Anthozoa, Hexacorallia) based on the mitochondrial ribosomal genes". Marine Biology. 147 (5): 1121–1128. doi:10.1007/s00227-005-0016-3. ISSN 0025-3162.
  2. 1 2 3 Pandya Khushali, M., et al. "Occurrence of Zoanthid genus Isaurus from Saurashtra coast, Gujarat, India." European Journal of Zoological Research 3.2 (2014): 1-5.
  3. REIMER, James Davis (2010). "Key to field identification of shallow water brachycnemic zoanthids (Order Zoantharia: Suborder Brachycnemina) present in Okinawa". Galaxea, Journal of Coral Reef Studies. 12 (1): 23–29. doi:10.3755/galaxea.12.23. ISSN 1883-3969.
  4. "Brachycnemina Haddon & Shackleton, 1891". GBIF.org. GBIF.org. Retrieved 21 May 2015.

Further reading

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