Regresar

Octocorallia, hexacorallia, scleractinia, and other corals

Abstract:

This chapter focuses on the corals of the class Anthozoa. The Anthozoa are routinely divided into various subclasses, though the number of subclasses and spelling are highly variable. The elegant three-volume Corals of the World provides some valuable keys for the reef-forming corals and remains a good taxonomy over all. It divides the Anthozoa into three subclasses: Octocorallia, Hexacorallia, and Ceriantipatharia. The octocorals are traditionally divided into five or six orders (Telestacea, Alcyonacea, Gorgonacea, Pennatulacea, Helioporacea, and sometimes Stolonifera). In captive management of corals, health care focuses nearly entirely on environmental management. All corals need sufficient water motion for oxygenation of tissues and for flushing away of debris. Nutritional diseases of corals are probably more common than is currently documented, though the complex relationship between micronutrition and water quality complicates their assessment. The chapter presents several infectious diseases such as bacterial diseases, fungal diseases, protozoal diseases, dinoflagellate diseases, and metazoan diseases.