Kingdom Animalia Higher classification Faviina Order Scleractinia | Phylum Cnidaria Rank Family Subclass Hexacorallia | |
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Lower classifications Galaxea, Madrepore | ||
Oculinidae is a family of colonial corals. Oculina and Schizoculina are found in the Atlantic Ocean while Galaxea and Simplastrea are found in the Indo-Pacific and the Red Sea. Most species are uncommon but Galaxea is widely distributed and common.
Contents
Characteristics
Members of the family Oculinidae are characterised by having the walls of the corallites (the cups which house the polyps) being composed of solid walled though rather fragile tubes connected by a smooth skeletal material called coenosteum. The corallites are widely spaced and robust. The septa (ridges on the corallite walls) curve noticeably outward giving the coral a spiky appearance. Many species in this family form a symbiotic relationship with the flagellate protozoa zooxanthellae which live within the tissues of the polyps. These are photosynthetic algae that provide nutrients for the polyps while themselves benefiting from a safe environment and an elevated, sunny position.
Genera
The World Register of Marine Species lists the following genera: