Corallimorpharia
Quick Summary
Corallimorpharia is an order of invertebrate marine animals within the class Anthozoa, phylum Cnidaria. These organisms are similar to sea anemones and are typically solitary or aggregated polyps. They lack basilar muscles but possess coral-like muscles and nematocysts, which are specialized stinging structures used to paralyze prey. Corallimorpharians are primarily found in tropical waters.12
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cnidarianAnnotated classificationOrder Corallimorpharia Sea-anemone-like solitary or aggregated polyps lacking basilar muscles and skeleton. Coral-like muscles and nematocysts. Mostly tropical. Order Ptychodactiaria Sea-anemone-like, lacking ciliated tract on edge of mesenteries and basilar muscles. Both poles. Order Scleractinia (Madreporaria)
Read MoreOrder Corallimorpharia Sea-anemone-like solitary or aggregated polyps lacking basilar muscles and skeleton. Coral-like muscles and nematocysts. Mostly tropical. Order Ptychodactiaria Sea-anemone-like, lacking ciliated tract on edge of mesenteries and basilar muscles. Both poles. Order Scleractinia (Madreporaria)
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cnidarianCritical appraisalSome regard corallimorpharians as scleractinians that lack a skeleton. Similarity of larval ceriantharians to antipatharian polyps is the rationale for subclass Ceriantipatharia. Morphology of antipatharians is, however, in some ways, nearer that of alcyonarians than of zoantharians, and alternative schemes place Antipatharia in subclass Alcyonaria. Ceriantharia, too,…
Read MoreSome regard corallimorpharians as scleractinians that lack a skeleton. Similarity of larval ceriantharians to antipatharian polyps is the rationale for subclass Ceriantipatharia. Morphology of antipatharians is, however, in some ways, nearer that of alcyonarians than of zoantharians, and alternative schemes place Antipatharia in subclass Alcyonaria. Ceriantharia, too,…
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