Actiniidae

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Actiniidae
Anemonia sulcata
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Cnidaria Class: Anthozoa Subclass: Hexacorallia Order: Actiniaria Suborder: Nyantheae Infraorder: Thenaria Family: Actiniidae Rafinesque, 1815
Genera
Actinia Actiniogeton Anemonia Anthopleura Anthostella Bolocera Boloceropsis Bunodactis Bunodosoma Cladactella Cnidopus Condylactis Cribrinopsis Dofleinia Epiactis Evactis Glyphoperidium Glyphostylum Gyrostoma Isantheopsis Isactinia Isadamsia Isocradactis Isosicyonis Isotealia Leipsiceras Liponema Macrodactyla Myonanthus Oulactis Parabunodactis Paracondylactis Paranemonia Parantheopsis Phialoba Phlyctenactis Phlyctenanthus Phyllactis Phymactis Pseudactinia Tealia Tealianthus Urticinopsis

The Actiniidae is the largest family of sea anemones and that to which most common, temperate, shore species belong. Most members of this family do not participate in symbioses with fishes. One exception is the so-called Bubble Anemone - Entacmaea quadricolor.

The systematics of Actiniidae is often quite difficult. The problem with identification of genera within this family is that most species are readily distinguishable when alive but when fixated lose their color and some other features. Arrangement of tentacles is important in defining genera for Actiniaria families. There may be one tentacle per space between mesenteries or there may be more than one tentacle between each two mesenteries. Members of the family Actiniidae have one tentacle per space.

[edit] External references

Anthopleura sola

Images