Xenia (genus)

Xenia sp.

Xenia is a genus of octocorals from the coral reefs in the tropical Indo-Pacific and Red Sea.

Features

There are animal colonies consisting of many individual polyps. Xenia species have a soft, very slimy by secretions, short trunk and non-retractable, monomorphic polyps. Some species grow crust shape. The Einzelpolyp has like all genres of the subclass Octocorallia, eight feathery tentacles. The sclerites of Xenia in the form of tiny flakes. The color ranges from brown to beige to white. The polyps of many species perform characteristic pumping movements, which do not serve the plankton -catching but probably respiration.

All Xenia species live in symbiosis with unicellular symbiotic algae ( zooxanthellae ) from which they receive the bulk of the needed nutrients. In addition, they also take over the skin on organic substances from the surrounding water.

Xenia species can multiply very quickly vegetatively and form large monospecific stocks in shallow water, near the water surface.