Melithaea

Melithaea

Knotted fan coral, Melithaea ochracea
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Cnidaria
Class:	Anthozoa
Subclass:	Octocorallia
Order:	Alcyonacea
Suborder:	Scleraxonia
Family:	Melithaeidae
Genus:	Melithaea Milne-Edwards, 1857 ^[1]
Species:	See text
Synonyms^[1]
Melitodes

Melithaea is a genus of octocorals in the family Melithaeidae. Members of the genus are commonly known as fan corals and are found in the tropical Indo-Pacific region. The type species is Melithaea ochracea.^[2]

Description

Members of the genus Melithaea are arborescent colonial corals forming fan, bush or tree shapes. The axis or main skeletal "trunk" is jointed, there being nodes, flexible horny joints, separated by internodes composed of hard, calcareous material. The branches divide off at the nodes which are often swollen. The minute calcareous spicules in the flexible membrane called the mesoglea that covers the skeleton are called sclerites. The identity of these spicules is important for identification purposes and in this genus they are predominantly double discs and small disc-spindles, but also include plain spindles, capstans and small clubs. Members of this genus do not have the unicellular symbiotic algae Zooxanthellae in their tissues that many other corals do. Colonies vary in colour but tend to be shades of yellow, orange, red and brown.^[2]

Ecological significance

These corals are one of several genera of sea fan that can be hosts to a species of pygmy seahorse, the Denise's pygmy seahorse (Hippocampus denise).

Species

The World Register of Marine Species includes the following species in the genus: ^[1]

Melithaea africana (Kükenthal, 1908)
Melithaea albitincta (Ridley, 1884)
Melithaea arborea (Kükenthal, 1908)
Melithaea caledonica Grasshoff, 1999
Melithaea densa (Kükenthal, 1908)
Melithaea esperi (Wright & Studer, 1889)
Melithaea flabellata (Gray, 1870)
Melithaea flabellifera (Kükenthal, 1908)
Melithaea flabellum (Thomson & Mackinnon, 1910)
Melithaea fragilis (Wright & Studer, 1889)
Melithaea laevis (Wright & Studer, 1889)
Melithaea linearis (Gray, 1870)
Melithaea mertoni (Kükenthal, 1909)
Melithaea modesta (Nutting, 1911)
Melithaea moluccana (Kükenthal, 1896)
Melithaea mutsu (Minobe, 1929)
Melithaea nodosa (Wright & Studer, 1889)
Melithaea occidentalis Duchassaing, 1870
Melithaea ochracea (Linnaeus, 1785)
Melithaea ornata (Thomson & Simpson, 1909)
Melithaea pulchella (Thomson & Simpson, 1909)
Melithaea rugosa (Wright & Studer, 1889)
Melithaea splendens (Nutting, 1911)
Melithaea squamat (Nutting, 1911)
Melithaea squamosa Nutting
Melithaea stormii (Studer, 1895)
Melithaea sulfurea (Studer, 1895)
Melithaea tenella (Dana, 1846)
Melithaea thomsoni (Broch, 1916)
Melithaea variabilis (Hickson, 1905)
Melithaea virgata (Verrill, 1846)

References

1 2 3 van Ofwegen, Leen (2010). "Melithaea Milne-Edwards, 1857". World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 2012-02-22.
1 2 Melithaea Marine Species Identification Portal. Retrieved 2012-02-22.

Corals and coral reefs
Stony corals	Blue Brain Elegance Elkhorn Hermatypic Chalice Pillar Staghorn Table
Soft corals	Bamboo Black Organ pipe Sea fans Sea pens
Coral reefs	Atoll Cay Coral Fringing Microatoll Coral reef fish Census of Coral Reefs The Structure and Distribution of Coral Reefs Catlin Seaview Survey Spur and groove formation
Coral regions	List of reefs Deep-water coral African coral reefs Amazon Reef Andros, Bahamas Belize Barrier Reef Coral Sea Islands Coral Triangle Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Great Barrier Reef Maldives Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System New Caledonia barrier reef Pulley Ridge Raja Ampat Islands Red Sea Southeast Asian coral reefs
Coral diseases	Coral bleaching Black band disease Skeletal eroding band White band disease White pox disease
Protection	Coral Reef Alliance Coral reef protection Green Fins International Society for Reef Studies Project AWARE Reef Check Reef Ball
Other	Artificial reef Aquaculture of coral Coral dermatitis Precious coral Coral rag Coral reef organizations Coral sand Coralline algae Environmental issues with coral reefs Fire coral Reef resilience Rugosa (extinct) Symbiodinium Tabulata

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