Holaxonia

Pinnigorgia sp.

The Holaxonia are a subordination of the Octocorallia. They are among the gorgonienartigen corals. These include the rights gorgonians ( Gorgoniidae ).

Its flexible, horn -like axial skeleton (medulla ) consists of individual fibers of Gorgon, between which crystalline calcium carbonate is deposited. A family that Keroeididae, forms the calcium deposits in the form of sclerites. The interior of the medulla is a longitudinally extending, hollow tube which is divided into chambers. The medulla is the Coenenchym covered, from which the eight-pointed polyps grow.

Many Holaxonia live in symbiosis with zooxanthellae from which they receive most of their nutrients. You put in the coral reefs of the Caribbean a lot of the coral fauna and replace there not occurring leather corals ( Alcyoniidae ).

Many zooxanthellate Holaxonia from the Caribbean, as Plexaura, Pseudoplexaura, Plexaurella, Pseudopterogorgia and Rumphella from the tropical Indo-Pacific and Pinnigorgia are good in a saltwater aquarium durable.

Families

• Acanthogorgiidae Gray, 1859
• True gorgonians ( Gorgoniidae ) Lamouroux, 1812
• Keroeididae Kinoshita, 1910
• Plexauridae Gray, 1959