The Great Barrier Reef
208
sectioning of these disc-shaped animals is very difficult, and external features are regarded as very important for identification.
N ORDER CERIANTHARIA (‘SAND
ANEMONES’ OR ‘CERIANTHIDS’)
As the common name suggests, these animals occur
within soft sediments with only the extended tentacles
and a little of the long, soft column visible (Fig. 19.8K).
The mouth is usually hidden by a crown of short tentacles and this is surrounded by much longer tentacles
that may extend in the direction of water flow. The individual produces and occupies a flexible tube that
may be up to a metre long. They are identified by dissection and identification of internal features.
Cerianthids occur from the intertidal to the deep
sea, and they are quite frequently encountered on reef
lagoons and the off-reef sea floor. Most feed at night,
retracting (at least partially) into their tubes by day.
Associates from a number of phyla, including lophophorates, may occur in the tube.
N ORDER ANTIPATHARIA (‘BLACK CORALS’)
These are colonial anthozoans in which the polyps occur on the outside of an axial skeleton of hard, black,
proteinaceous material that bears tiny thorn-like projections (Fig. 19.8I). The polyps are non-retractile and
bear only six tentacles. Two main colonial structures
occur: single whip-like forms that may be coiled but do
not branch (genus Cirripathes), and bushy forms, in
which a thick central trunk divides into increasingly
smaller branches and eventually very thin branchlets
(genus Antipathes). While Cirripathes are common on
the GBR, the large tree-like forms mostly occur out of
scuba diving range.
There is a long history of exploitation of black coral
skeleton for jewellery. Colonies large enough to have
formed the desired dense, shiny black skeleton at their
bases are believed to be very old and usually occur far
deeper than 20 m: these are sometimes found on Australian beaches after heavy weather. All international
trade in black coral, even in the form of the final product, is subject to regulation under the Convention for
International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).
ADDITIONAL READING
Burnett, W. J., Benzie, J. A., Beardmore, J. A., and Ryland,
J. S. (1997). Zoanthids (Anthozoa, Hexacorallia) from
the Great Barrier Reef and Torres Strait, Australia:
systematics, evolution and a key to species. Coral
Reefs 16, 55–67.
Carlgren, O. (1949). A survey of the Ptychodactiaria,
Corallimorpharia and Actiniaria. Kungliga Svenska
Vetenskaps-Akademiens Handlingar 1, 1–121.
Erhardt, H., and Knoop, D. (2005). ‘Corals Indo-Pacific
Field Guide.’ (IKAN: Undterwasserarchiv, Frankfurt.)
[Has very good section on Actiniaria and kin.]
Fautin, D. G. (2006). Hexacorallians of the World. Available at http://geoportal.kgs.ku.edu/hexacoral/
anemone2/index.cfm [Verified 21 March 2008].
Fautin, D. G., and Allen, G. R. (1997). Anemone Fishes
and Their Host Sea Anemones. (Western Australian
Museum: Perth.)
Fosså, S. A., and Nielsen, A. J. (1998). ‘The Modern
Coral Reef Aquarium. Vol. 2.’ (Birgit Schmettkamp
Verlag: Bornheim.)
Napier, W. R., and Wallace, C. C. (no date). Available
at http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/
abrs/ online-resources/species-bank/records-cnidaria
.html [Verified 21 March 2008]. [Species Bank entry
for Acrozoanthus australiae].
Opresko, D. M. (1972). Redescriptions and reevaluations
of the Antipatharians described by I. F. De Portales.
Bulletin of Marine Science 22, 951–1017.
Saville-Kent, W. (1893). The Great Barrier Reef of
Australia: Its Products and Potentialities. (W. H. Allen
& Co.: Waterloo Place, London.)
Scott, A., and Harrison, P. L. (2005). Synchronous
spawning of host sea anemones. Coral Reefs 24, 208.
Wallace, C. C., and Richards, Z. Available at: http://
www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/abrs/
online-resources/species-bank/records-cnidaria.
html [Verified 21 March 2008]. [Species Bank entries
for Boloceroides mcmurrichi, Cryptodenron adhaesivum,
Entacmaea quadricolor, Heteractis magnifica, Heterodactyla hemprichii, Macrodactyla doreensis, Stichodactyla
haddoni and Triactis producta.]
208
sectioning of these disc-shaped animals is very difficult, and external features are regarded as very important for identification.
N ORDER CERIANTHARIA (‘SAND
ANEMONES’ OR ‘CERIANTHIDS’)
As the common name suggests, these animals occur
within soft sediments with only the extended tentacles
and a little of the long, soft column visible (Fig. 19.8K).
The mouth is usually hidden by a crown of short tentacles and this is surrounded by much longer tentacles
that may extend in the direction of water flow. The individual produces and occupies a flexible tube that
may be up to a metre long. They are identified by dissection and identification of internal features.
Cerianthids occur from the intertidal to the deep
sea, and they are quite frequently encountered on reef
lagoons and the off-reef sea floor. Most feed at night,
retracting (at least partially) into their tubes by day.
Associates from a number of phyla, including lophophorates, may occur in the tube.
N ORDER ANTIPATHARIA (‘BLACK CORALS’)
These are colonial anthozoans in which the polyps occur on the outside of an axial skeleton of hard, black,
proteinaceous material that bears tiny thorn-like projections (Fig. 19.8I). The polyps are non-retractile and
bear only six tentacles. Two main colonial structures
occur: single whip-like forms that may be coiled but do
not branch (genus Cirripathes), and bushy forms, in
which a thick central trunk divides into increasingly
smaller branches and eventually very thin branchlets
(genus Antipathes). While Cirripathes are common on
the GBR, the large tree-like forms mostly occur out of
scuba diving range.
There is a long history of exploitation of black coral
skeleton for jewellery. Colonies large enough to have
formed the desired dense, shiny black skeleton at their
bases are believed to be very old and usually occur far
deeper than 20 m: these are sometimes found on Australian beaches after heavy weather. All international
trade in black coral, even in the form of the final product, is subject to regulation under the Convention for
International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).
ADDITIONAL READING
Burnett, W. J., Benzie, J. A., Beardmore, J. A., and Ryland,
J. S. (1997). Zoanthids (Anthozoa, Hexacorallia) from
the Great Barrier Reef and Torres Strait, Australia:
systematics, evolution and a key to species. Coral
Reefs 16, 55–67.
Carlgren, O. (1949). A survey of the Ptychodactiaria,
Corallimorpharia and Actiniaria. Kungliga Svenska
Vetenskaps-Akademiens Handlingar 1, 1–121.
Erhardt, H., and Knoop, D. (2005). ‘Corals Indo-Pacific
Field Guide.’ (IKAN: Undterwasserarchiv, Frankfurt.)
[Has very good section on Actiniaria and kin.]
Fautin, D. G. (2006). Hexacorallians of the World. Available at http://geoportal.kgs.ku.edu/hexacoral/
anemone2/index.cfm [Verified 21 March 2008].
Fautin, D. G., and Allen, G. R. (1997). Anemone Fishes
and Their Host Sea Anemones. (Western Australian
Museum: Perth.)
Fosså, S. A., and Nielsen, A. J. (1998). ‘The Modern
Coral Reef Aquarium. Vol. 2.’ (Birgit Schmettkamp
Verlag: Bornheim.)
Napier, W. R., and Wallace, C. C. (no date). Available
at http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/
abrs/ online-resources/species-bank/records-cnidaria
.html [Verified 21 March 2008]. [Species Bank entry
for Acrozoanthus australiae].
Opresko, D. M. (1972). Redescriptions and reevaluations
of the Antipatharians described by I. F. De Portales.
Bulletin of Marine Science 22, 951–1017.
Saville-Kent, W. (1893). The Great Barrier Reef of
Australia: Its Products and Potentialities. (W. H. Allen
& Co.: Waterloo Place, London.)
Scott, A., and Harrison, P. L. (2005). Synchronous
spawning of host sea anemones. Coral Reefs 24, 208.
Wallace, C. C., and Richards, Z. Available at: http://
www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/abrs/
online-resources/species-bank/records-cnidaria.
html [Verified 21 March 2008]. [Species Bank entries
for Boloceroides mcmurrichi, Cryptodenron adhaesivum,
Entacmaea quadricolor, Heteractis magnifica, Heterodactyla hemprichii, Macrodactyla doreensis, Stichodactyla
haddoni and Triactis producta.]