| Description |
viii, 264 pages : illustrations (chiefly colour), colour maps, portraits ; 24 cm |
| Contents |
Introduction. About this book ; An overview of the classification system ; Coelenterata ; Octocorallia (Helioporacea ; Pennatulacea ; Alcyonacea) ; Biology of Octocorals (Histology and anatomy ; Reproduction and propagation ; Nutrition) -- Ecology of Octocorals. Patterns of distribution ; The physical environment ; Chemical ecology : protection and defence -- Techniques for examining and identifying an Octocoral colony -- Choice of Octocorals for a coral reef aquarium -- Surveying Octocoral communities |
| Summary |
This book is a guide to families and genera of soft corals and sea fans from the shallow, tropical and subtropical regions of the Indian and Central-West Pacific oceans and the Red Sea. Soft corals and sea fans are common names for species of animals grouped under the scientific name Alcyonacea. Together with blue coral and sea pens, they make up a larger animal group called Octocorallia (Box 1). Their distinguishing characteristic is that their polyps always bear eight tentacles (hence octo-coral), which are fringed by one or more rows of pinnules along both edges. The popular term "soft coral" points to the fact that most soft corals, in contrast to the related hard corals, have no massive solid skeleton |
| Analysis |
Coral |
|
Clavulariidae |
|
Coelogorgiidae |
|
Tubiporidae |
|
Alcyoniidae |
|
Nephtheidae |
|
Nidaliidae |
|
Paralcyoniidae |
|
Asterospiculariidae |
|
Xeniidae |
|
Briareidae |
|
Anthothelidae |
|
Subergorgiidae |
|
Melithaeidae |
|
Parisididae |
|
Keroeididae |
|
Acanthogorgiidae |
|
Plexauridae |
|
Gorgoniidae |
|
Ellisellidae |
|
Ifalukellidae |
|
Primnoidae |
|
Chysogorgidae |
|
Isididae |
| Notes |
Includes index |
| Bibliography |
Includes bibliographical references and index |
| Notes |
Australian Institute of Marine Science, and the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, ©2001 |
| Subject |
Octocorallia -- Indian Ocean.
|
|
Octocorallia -- Red Sea.
|
|
Octocorallia -- Pacific Ocean.
|
|
Octocorallia.
|
|
Octocorallia -- Indo-Pacific Region -- Identification.
|
|
Octocorallia -- Red Sea -- Identification.
|
|
Corals -- Identification.
|
| Genre/Form |
Guidebooks.
|
|
Field guides.
|
| Author |
Alderslade, Philip, author
|
|
Australian Institute of Marine Science, sponsor
|
| LC no. |
2002430302 |
| ISBN |
0642322104 (paperback) |
|
