Holaxonia
| Holaxonia | |
|---|---|
| Pinnigorgia sp. | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Cnidaria |
| Subphylum: | Anthozoa |
| Class: | Octocorallia |
| Order: | Alcyonacea |
| Suborder: | Studer, 1887 |
| Families | |
|
See text | |
Holaxonia (English name: holaxonians[1]) is a former Octocorallian suborder of the order Gorgonacea (English names: gorgonians or sea fans), or alternatively of the broadly conceived order Alcyonacea. Before 1981/1999, Holaxonia usually also included the taxon Calcaxonia (informal name: restricted Holaxonia).[2][3][4][5]
Since a 2022 revision of the Octocorallia, the content of the former Holaxania has been included in the new order Malacalcyonacea, within which it does not form a monophyletic group (clade) and has no name. The two Holaxonian genera Dendrobrachia a Ideogorgia are an exception in that they have been included not in the order Malacalcyonacea, but in the order Scleralcyonacea.[6]
Vernacular names of certain members of Holaxonia include: sea fan, sea whip, sea rod, and sea blade.
Characteristics
Members of Holaxonia are soft corals. They 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 Holaxonia are characterized by having an unspiculated axis and often a soft, chambered central core.[7] 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.[8][9]
Families and genera
In 2018, the World Register of Marine Species listed the following families and genera in Holaxonia:[10]
- 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 Dendrobrachiidae Brook, 1889 - this family was moved to the suborder Calcaxonia in 2019
- Genus Dendrobrachia Brook, 1889
- Family Gorgoniidae Lamouroux, 1812
- Genus Adelogorgia Bayer, 1958
- Genus Antillogorgia Bayer, 1951
- 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 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 Pseudopterogorgia Kükenthal, 1919
- Genus Pterogorgia Ehrenberg, 1834
- Genus Rumphella Bayer, 1955
- 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 Acis Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1860
- 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 Chromoplexaura Williams, 2013
- 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 Plexauroides Wright & Studer
- Genus Plexauropsis Verrill
- Genus Psammogorgia Verrill, 1868
- Genus Pseudoplexaura Wright & Studer, 1889
- Genus Pseudothesea Kükenthal, 1919
- Genus Scleracis Kükenthal, 1919
- Genus Spinimuricea Grasshoff, 1992
- Genus Swiftia Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864
- Genus Thesea Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1860
- Genus Trimuricea Gordon, 1926
- Genus Villogorgia Duchassaing & Michelloti, 1862
See also
References
- ^ Orejas, Covadonga; Jiménez, Carlos (2019-07-10). Mediterranean Cold-Water Corals: Past, Present and Future: Understanding the Deep-Sea Realms of Coral. Springer. p. 142. ISBN 978-3-319-91608-8. Retrieved 2025-07-10.
- ^ Daly, Marymegan & Brugler, Mercer & Cartwright, Paulyn & Collins, Allen & Dawson, Michael & Fautin, Daphne & France, Scott & McFadden, Catherine & OPRESKO, DENNIS & Rodriguez, Estefania & Romano, Sandra & Stake, Joel. (2007/2006). The Phylum Cnidaria: A Review Of Phylogenetic Patterns And Diversity 300 Years After Linnaeus *. Zootaxa. 1668. 10.5281/zenodo.180149.
- ^ Lesser, Michael (2011-11-16). Advances in Marine Biology. Academic Press. p. 43-46. ISBN 978-0-12-385529-9. Retrieved 2025-07-09.
- ^ GOFFREDO, Stefano; DUBINSKY, Zvy. The Cnidaria, Past, Present and Future (The world of Medusa and her sisters). [s.l.] : Springer, 2016. ISBN 978-3-319-31305-4. pp. 109-111
- ^ BAYER, F. M. Key to the genera of Octocorallia exclusive of Pennatulacea (Coelenterata: Anthozoa), with diganoses of new taxa. PROC. BIOL. SOC. WASH. 94(3), 1981, pp. 902-947
- ^ McFadden, Catherine S.; Ofwegen, Leen P. van; Quattrini, Andrea M. (14 October 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. ISSN 2768-0819.
- ^ Suborder Holaxonia Guide to the Shallow Water (0-200 m) Octocorals of the South Atlantic Bight. Retrieved 2011-12-05.
- ^ Gorgonians (Holaxonia) Saltcorner. Retrieved 2011-12-03.
- ^ Gorgonians Animal-World. Retrieved 2011-12-03.
- ^ "WoRMS - World Register of Marine Species - Holaxonia". marinespecies.org. Retrieved 2018-03-30.