''Eunicea'' is a
genus
Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...
of gorgonian-type
octocorals
Octocorallia, along with Hexacorallia, is one of the two extant classes of Anthozoa. It comprises over 3,000 species of marine and brackish animals consisting of colonial polyps with 8-fold symmetry, commonly referred informally as "soft cora ...
in the
family
Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...
Plexauridae
Plexauridae is a Family (biology), family of marine Colony (biology), colonial Octocorallia, octocorals in the phylum Cnidaria. Members of this family are found in shallow tropical and subtropical seas. Many species contain Symbiosis, symbiotic P ...
. These branched octocorals typically have knobby protuberances from which the polyps protrude. They are often stiffened by purple
sclerite
A sclerite (Greek language, Greek , ', meaning "hardness, hard") is a hardened body part. In various branches of biology the term is applied to various structures, but not as a rule to vertebrate anatomical features such as bones and teeth. Instea ...
s and some colonies, in brightly lit back-reef areas are purple, though most colonies are brown or grey. The polyps in some species are large and feathery in appearance. The growth of these corals is rapid and they can be kept in a
reef aquarium
A reef aquarium or reef tank is a marine aquarium that prominently displays live corals and other marine invertebrates as well as fish that play a role in maintaining the tropical coral reef environment. A reef aquarium requires appropriately i ...
.
Species
The World Register of Marine Species lists these species:
*''
Eunicea aspera''
Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1860
*''
Eunicea asperula''
Milne Edwards & Haime, 1857
*''
Eunicea calyculata''
(Ellis & Solander, 1786)
*''
Eunicea castelnaudi''
Milne Edwards & Haime, 1857
*''
Eunicea citrina''
Valenciennes, 1855
*''
Eunicea clavigera''
Bayer, 1961
*''
Eunicea distans''
Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1860
*''
Eunicea echinata
''Eunicea'' is a genus of gorgonian-type octocorals in the family Plexauridae. These branched octocorals typically have knobby protuberances from which the polyps protrude. They are often stiffened by purple sclerites and some colonies, in brigh ...
''
Valenciennes, 1855
*''
Eunicea esperi''
Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1860
*''
Eunicea flexuosa
''Eunicea'' is a genus of gorgonian-type octocorals in the family Plexauridae. These branched octocorals typically have knobby protuberances from which the polyps protrude. They are often stiffened by purple sclerites and some colonies, in brigh ...
''
(Lamouroux, 1821)
*''
Eunicea fusca''
Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1860
*''
Eunicea gracilis''
Valenciennes, 1855
*''
Eunicea heteropora''
(Lamarck, 1816)
*''
Eunicea hicksoni
''Eunicea'' is a genus of gorgonian-type octocorals in the family Plexauridae. These branched octocorals typically have knobby protuberances from which the polyps protrude. They are often stiffened by purple sclerites and some colonies, in brigh ...
''
Stiasny, 1935
*''
Eunicea hirta
''Eunicea'' is a genus of gorgonian-type octocorals in the family Plexauridae. These branched octocorals typically have knobby protuberances from which the polyps protrude. They are often stiffened by purple sclerites and some colonies, in brigh ...
''
Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1860
*''
Eunicea humilis
''Eunicea'' is a genus of gorgonian-type octocorals in the family Plexauridae. These branched octocorals typically have knobby protuberances from which the polyps protrude. They are often stiffened by purple sclerites and some colonies, in brigh ...
''
Milne Edwards, 1857
*''
Eunicea inexpectata
''Eunicea'' is a genus of gorgonian-type octocorals in the family Plexauridae. These branched octocorals typically have knobby protuberances from which the polyps protrude. They are often stiffened by purple sclerites and some colonies, in brigh ...
''
Stiasny, 1939
*''
Eunicea knighti
''Eunicea'' is a genus of gorgonian-type octocorals in the family Plexauridae. These branched octocorals typically have knobby protuberances from which the polyps protrude. They are often stiffened by purple sclerites and some colonies, in brigh ...
''
Bayer, 1961
*''
Eunicea laciniata
''Eunicea'' is a genus of gorgonian-type octocorals in the family Plexauridae. These branched octocorals typically have knobby protuberances from which the polyps protrude. They are often stiffened by purple sclerites and some colonies, in brigh ...
''
Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1860
*''
Eunicea laxispica
''Eunicea'' is a genus of gorgonian-type octocorals in the family Plexauridae. These branched octocorals typically have knobby protuberances from which the polyps protrude. They are often stiffened by purple sclerites and some colonies, in brigh ...
''
(Lamarck, 1815)
*''
Eunicea lugubris
''Eunicea'' is a genus of gorgonian-type octocorals in the family Plexauridae. These branched octocorals typically have knobby protuberances from which the polyps protrude. They are often stiffened by purple sclerites and some colonies, in brigh ...
''
Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1860
*''
Eunicea madrepora
''Eunicea'' is a genus of gorgonian-type octocorals in the family Plexauridae. These branched octocorals typically have knobby protuberances from which the polyps protrude. They are often stiffened by purple sclerites and some colonies, in brigh ...
''
(Dana, 1846)
*''
Eunicea mammosa
''Eunicea mammosa'' is a species of soft coral of the Family (biology), family Plexauridae, described by Jean Vincent Félix Lamouroux in 1816. Common names for the species include swollen-knob candelabrum. References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q207152 ...
''
Lamouroux, 1816
*''
Eunicea multicauda
''Eunicea'' is a genus of gorgonian-type octocorals in the family Plexauridae. These branched octocorals typically have knobby protuberances from which the polyps protrude. They are often stiffened by purple sclerites and some colonies, in brigh ...
''
(Lamarck, 1816)
*''
Eunicea pallida
''Eunicea'' is a genus of gorgonian-type Octocorallia, octocorals in the Family (biology), family Plexauridae. These branched octocorals typically have knobby protuberances from which the polyps protrude. They are often stiffened by purple scleri ...
''
Garcia Parrado & Alcolado, 1996
*''
Eunicea palmeri''
Bayer, 1961
*''
Eunicea pinta''
Bayer & Deichmann, 1958
*''
Eunicea sayoti''
Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1860
*''
Eunicea sparsiflora''
Kunze, 1916
*''
Eunicea stromyeri''
Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1860
*''
Eunicea succinea''
(Pallas, 1766)
*''
Eunicea tayrona''
Sánchez, 2009
*''
Eunicea tourneforti''
Milne Edwards & Haime, 1857
*''
Eunicea turgida''
Ehrenberg, 1834
References
Plexauridae
Octocorallia genera
{{octocorallia-stub