Nephtheidae is a
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 ...
of
soft corals
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 phylum
Cnidaria
Cnidaria ( ) is a phylum under kingdom Animalia containing over 11,000 species of aquatic invertebrates found both in fresh water, freshwater and marine environments (predominantly the latter), including jellyfish, hydroid (zoology), hydroids, ...
. Members of this family are known as carnation corals, tree corals or colt soft corals. They are very attractive and show a wide range of rich and pastel colours including reds, pinks, yellows and purples. They are popular with
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 ...
hobbyists.
Most of these corals are arborescent and have little knobs on the end of their rubbery branches. The coral
polyps tend to retract in the daytime which gives these corals their alternative name of broccoli corals because of their resemblance to the vegetable. At night the polyps emerge and extend their tentacles to feed, looking like little bunches of flowers on the ends of the branches.
Genera
The World Register of Marine Species includes the following
genera
Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family as used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In binomial nomenclature, the genus name forms the first part of the binomial s ...
in this
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 ...
:
*''
Capnella
''Capnella'' is a genus of soft corals in the family Nephtheidae. They are also commonly known as Kenya tree corals.
Species
*'' Capnella arbuscula'' Verseveldt, 1977
*'' Capnella australiensis'' (Thorpe, 1928)
*'' Capnella bouilloni'' Verseveld ...
''
Gray, 1869
*''
Chondronephthya''
Utinomi, 1960
*''
Chromonephthea''
van Ofwegen, 2005
*''
Coronephthya''
Utinomi, 1966
*''
Dendronephthya
''Dendronephthya'' is a genus of soft corals in the family Nephtheidae. There are over 250 described species
A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating t ...
''
Kuekenthal, 1905
*''
Drifa''
Danielssen, 1886
*''
Duva''
Koren & Danielssen, 1883
*''
Eunephthya
''Eunephthya'' is a genus of soft corals in the family Nephtheidae
Nephtheidae is a Family (biology), family of Alcyonacea, soft corals in the phylum Cnidaria. Members of this family are known as carnation corals, tree corals or colt soft cora ...
''
Verrill, 1869
*''
Gersemia''
Marenzeller, 1877
*''
Lemnalia''
Gray, 1868
*''
Litophyton
''Litophyton'' is a genus of soft corals in the family Nephtheidae.
Species
The World Register of Marine Species includes the following species in the genus:
*'' Litophyton acuticonicum'' (Verseveldt, 1974)
*'' Litophyton amentaceum'' (Studer, ...
''
Forskål, 1775
*''
Neospongodes''
Kükenthal, 1903
*''
Pacifiphyton''
Williams, 1997
*''
Paralemnalia
''Paralemnalia'' is a genus of corals belonging to the family Nephtheidae.
The species of this genus are found in Africa, Malesia
Malesia is a biogeographical region straddling the Equator and the boundaries of the Indomalayan and Austral ...
''
Kükenthal, 1913
*''
Pseudodrifa''
Utinomi, 1961
*''
Scleronephthya
''Scleronephthya'' is a genus of corals belonging to the family Nephtheidae
Nephtheidae is a Family (biology), family of Alcyonacea, soft corals in the phylum Cnidaria. Members of this family are known as carnation corals, tree corals or colt ...
''
Studer, 1887
*''
Stereonephthya''
Kükenthal, 1905
*''
Umbellulifera''
Thomson & Dean, 1931
Image:Cauliflower soft coral at Rambler Rock south reef P9078397.JPG, ''Capnella thyrsoidea
''Capnella'' is a genus of soft corals in the family Nephtheidae. They are also commonly known as Kenya tree corals.
Species
*'' Capnella arbuscula'' Verseveldt, 1977
*'' Capnella australiensis'' (Thorpe, 1928)
*'' Capnella bouilloni'' Verseveld ...
''
Image:White soft coral.jpg, ''Dendronephthya klunzingeri
''Dendronephthya klunzingeri'' is a species of soft coral in the family Nephtheidae.
This species is divaricate
Divaricate means branching, or having separation or a degree of separation. The angle between branches is wide.
In botany
In bota ...
''
Image:Soft and noble corals at Barry's Pinnacles PB198243.JPG, ''Eunephthya thyrsoidea
The cauliflower soft coral (''Eunephthya thyrsoidea'') is a species of colonial soft coral in the family Nephtheidae
Nephtheidae is a Family (biology), family of Alcyonacea, soft corals in the phylum Cnidaria. Members of this family are known ...
''
Image:Gersemia antarctica, near McMurdo Station, Ross Island.JPG, ''Gersemia antarctica
''Gersemia'' is a genus of soft corals in the family Nephtheidae. Species in this genus are found in cold temperate and polar seas at depths ranging from to over . The type species is '' Gersemia loricata''.
Characteristics
Colonies of ''Gersem ...
''
Image:Nephthya sp. (Soft tree coral).jpg, ''Nephthya
''Litophyton'' is a genus of soft corals in the family Nephtheidae.
Species
The World Register of Marine Species includes the following species in the genus:
*'' Litophyton acuticonicum'' (Verseveldt, 1974)
*'' Litophyton amentaceum'' (Studer, ...
sp.''
Image:Scleronephthya sp.jpg, ''Scleronephthya
''Scleronephthya'' is a genus of corals belonging to the family Nephtheidae
Nephtheidae is a Family (biology), family of Alcyonacea, soft corals in the phylum Cnidaria. Members of this family are known as carnation corals, tree corals or colt ...
sp.''
References
Taxa named by John Edward Gray
Alcyoniina
Cnidarian families
{{Octocorallia-stub