Coral Communities: Composition and Formation
Class Anthozoa
Phylum
Coelenterata
Subclass Octocoraliia
-------1
L _____________________________________________________ ___________ ~
251
Fig. 7.1. Corals in the system of phyum Coelenterata; the taxa of hermatypic reefbuilding corals are placed inside the frame of dotted line
polyps or as small colonies, and so cannot be included as reef builders.
This group comprises also most octocorals-alcyonaceans and gorgonaceans
that have algal symbionts but do not build massive lime colonies.
4. Ahermatypes-asymbionts. To this group belong among scleractinians
some species of the genera Dendrophyllia and Tubastrea, which have
small polyps. It includes also hexacorals from the orders Antipatharia
and Corallimorpharia, and asymbiotic octocorals.
In most cases the reef-building (hermatypic) corals are simultaneously the
symbiotic ones. Therefore, in literature the term "hermatypic" is accepted
as synonymous with the term "symbiotic". Sometimes it is not strictly
correct, because we have a group of symbiotic but ahermatypic corals. But
the use of these terms as synonyms became so widespread that we are using
it also in this book.
7.1 Coral Communities: Composition and Formation
7 .1.1 Sc1eractinian Corals
The communities of scleractinians inhabiting coral reefs of the World ocean
are extremely various (Potts 1979). The total number of their taxa
Class Anthozoa
Phylum
Coelenterata
Subclass Octocoraliia
-------1
L _____________________________________________________ ___________ ~
251
Fig. 7.1. Corals in the system of phyum Coelenterata; the taxa of hermatypic reefbuilding corals are placed inside the frame of dotted line
polyps or as small colonies, and so cannot be included as reef builders.
This group comprises also most octocorals-alcyonaceans and gorgonaceans
that have algal symbionts but do not build massive lime colonies.
4. Ahermatypes-asymbionts. To this group belong among scleractinians
some species of the genera Dendrophyllia and Tubastrea, which have
small polyps. It includes also hexacorals from the orders Antipatharia
and Corallimorpharia, and asymbiotic octocorals.
In most cases the reef-building (hermatypic) corals are simultaneously the
symbiotic ones. Therefore, in literature the term "hermatypic" is accepted
as synonymous with the term "symbiotic". Sometimes it is not strictly
correct, because we have a group of symbiotic but ahermatypic corals. But
the use of these terms as synonyms became so widespread that we are using
it also in this book.
7.1 Coral Communities: Composition and Formation
7 .1.1 Sc1eractinian Corals
The communities of scleractinians inhabiting coral reefs of the World ocean
are extremely various (Potts 1979). The total number of their taxa