3A
|
Colonies
with a basal muscular peduncle for anchoring in soft substrata. Polyps
trimorphic or quadrimorphic; oozooid present (Pennatulacea) |
4 |
3B
|
Colonies
without a basal peduncle. Polyps monomorphic or dimorphic, oozooid absent
(Alcyonacea) |
18 |
4A
|
Adjacent
polyps free, not fused to any degree |
5 |
4B
|
Proximal
portions of adjacent autozooids fused to some degree, forming polyp
leaves or raised ridges, or joined only at the bases |
15 |
5A
|
Colonies
cordate/foliate; rachis greatly flattened, lying on surface of substratum
|
|
5B
|
Colonies
cylindrical, capitate, clavate, or elongate; rachis erect, not lying
on substratum |
6 |
6A
|
Autozooids
distributed evenly on all sides of rachis, or proximal portion of rachis
with a single longitudinal furrow or V-shaped region devoid of polyps
|
7 |
6B
|
Autozooids
confined to a terminal cluster, or arranged biserially along rachis,
or in whorls of two to four arranged sparsely along rachis, or arranged
on three sides of rachis with a naked dorsal tract along entire length
of rachis |
8 |
7A
|
Siphonozooids
without calyces |
|
7B
|
Siphonozooids
with conspicuously bifurcated, spiculated calyces |
|
8A
|
Autozooids
arranged in a terminal cluster at the end of a long slender stalk |
|
8B
|
Autozooids
arranged along the sides of the rachis |
9 |
9A
|
Colonies
cylindrical or clavate with distal portion somewhat wider than rest
of colony. Polyps arranged biserially and individually (not in oblique
rows), or disposed on three sides of rachis with a naked dorsal tract
along the entire length of the rachis |
|
9B
|
Colonies
elongated and narrow with uniform thickness, or if clavate then polyps
arranged in oblique rows. Polyps arranged biserially or in isolated
pairs or whorls |
10 |
10A
|
Colonies
without sclerites. Polyps arranged biserially without calyces |
|
10B
|
Colonies
with or without sclerites, and polyps arranged in pairs or whorls of
2-4, without calyces |
11
|
11A
|
Rachis
with or without sclerites Polyps arranged in pairs or whorls of 2-4,
without calyces |
12 |
11B
|
Rachis
with sclerites. Polyps arranged biserially, with calyces |
13 |
12A
|
Rachis
with spindles or rods (<0.10 mm) |
|
12B
|
Rachis
without sclerites or with minute irregularly-shaped rods (>0.05 mm)
|
|
13A
|
Autozooids
tubular with calyces having eight conspicuous terminal teeth; siphonozooids
and autozooids morphologically similar |
|
13B
|
Calyces
with zero to eight terminal teeth. Siphonozooids and autozoods very
different morphologically |
14 |
14A
|
Polyps
arranged in oblique or transverse rows along the rachis. Colonies often
somewhat clavate |
|
14B
|
Autozooids
arranged in one to three longitudinal rows along the rachis; colonies
elongate, not clavate |
|
15A
|
Autozooids
disposed on raised ridges or pads that are obliquely arranged along
the rachis |
16 |
15B
|
Autozooids
disposed on conspicuous polyp leaves that emanate laterally along the
rachis in two opposite longitudinal series |
17 |
16A
|
Rachis
with sclerites. Polyps with bifurcated, spiculiferous calyces |
|
16B
|
Rachis
without sclerites. Polyps without calyces |
|
17A
|
Polyp
leaf sclerites reduced (ovals and plates) or absent. Siphonozooids few
and sparsely distributed |
|
17B
|
Polyp
leaf sclerites are numerous and conspicuous (spindles and needles).
Siphonozooids numerous to congested and densely-set |
|
18A
|
Permanently
solitary octocorals composed of a single large polyp |
|
18B
|
Colonial
octocorals; polyps multiple, produced by vegetative budding |
19 |
19A
|
Polyps
separate, joined only at the proximal bases by stolons or multilayered
platforms |
20 |
19B
|
Polyps
partly united laterally or contained in a common coenenchyme |
23 |
20A
|
Calcareous
skeleton absent |
|
20B
|
Calcareous
skeletal elements present |
21 |
21A
|
Colonies
with stolons forming rigid multi-layered platforms above the substratum
|
|
21B
|
Colonies
arborescent with a reduced stolon, or colonies with conspicuous stolons
not forming rigid multi-layered platforms |
22 |
22A
|
Colonial
growth form richly arborescent. Polyps non-retractile, calyces absent
|
|
22B
|
Colonies
composed of retractile polyps with cylindrical, conical, or mound-like
calyces |
|
23A
|
Colonies
composed of one elongated axial polyp with many short lateral polyps
(autozooids) embedded in the thick coenenchyme of the axial polyp wall
|
|
23B
|
Single
dominant axial polyp lacking; smaller polyps in dimorphic taxa are siphonozooids,
not autozooids |
24 |
24A
|
Coenenchyme
not differentiated into outer and inner layers. Gastric cavities of
polyps extend throughout height of colony |
25 |
24B
|
Coenenchyme
differentiated into outer and inner layers (cortex and medulla), or
internal calcareous and/or proteinaceous axis present |
29 |
25A
|
Sclerites
composed of anhedral rods or nodules |
|
25B
|
Sclerites
of composed of subhedral or euhedral crystals |
26 |
26A
|
Polyparium
composed of branches or clusters of polyps, which is retractile into
a common basal stalk or trunk |
|
26B
|
Polyparium,
if composed of branches or clusters of polyps, not retractile into common
basal stalk or trunk. If polyparium is retractile, then not composed
of branches or clusters of polyps |
27 |
27A
|
Polyps
often grouped in clusters or restricted to branch tips of the polypary
|
|
27B
|
Polyps
evenly distributed on the surface of the polypary |
28 |
28A
|
Colonies
with a rigid consistency, outer surface rough, containing large tuberculate
sclerites, longitudinally placed. Polyps retractile into mostly prominent
calyces |
|
28B
|
Colonies
usually fleshy, sclerites generally not in the form of longitudinally
disposed large spindles. Calyces absent except in a few species |
|
29A
|
Coenenchyme
differentiated into an outer cortex and an inner medulla. Medulla composed
entirely of free but densely set sclerites |
30 |
29B
|
Colony
with axial support composed of inseparably fused sclerites, or sclerites
united by horny proteinaceous material (gorgonin) and/or CaCO3, or entirely
proteinaceous and permeated by varying amounts of non-spicular CaCO3,
or totally calcified without sclerites or horn |
33 |
30A
|
Colonies
dimorphic |
|
30B
|
Colonies
monomorphic |
31 |
31A
|
Cortex
and medulla separated by a ring of longitudinal boundary canals |
32 |
31B
|
Cortex
and medulla not separated by a ring of longitudinal boundary canals
|
|
32A
|
Sclerites
of the medulla are mostly smooth and curved, partly fused to form a
network |
|
32B
|
Sclerites
of the medulla include tuberculate or somewhat branched rods or spindles
|
|
33A
|
Axis jointed
(segmented); with alternating nodes and internodes |
34 |
33B
|
Axis not
jointed; continuous and uniform, without alternating nodes and internodes
|
36 |
34A
|
Axis with
sclerites |
35
|
34B
|
Axis without
sclerites |
|
35A
|
Branches
arise from proteinaceous nodes |
|
35B
|
Branches
arise from calcareous internodes |
|
36A
|
Polyps
dimorphic |
|
36B
|
Polyps
monomorphic |
37 |
37A
|
Central
axis proteinaceous with ridges and grooves, the ridges are spiny resembling
the stem of a black coral or rosebush |
|
37B
|
Central
axis smooth or longitudinally grooved, but not with conspicuous spiny
ridges |
38 |
38A
|
Central
axis with hollow, cross-chambered core (Suborder Holaxonia) |
39 |
38B
|
Central
axis with solid core (Suborder Calcaxonia) |
42 |
39A
|
Chambered
core of axis surrounded by smooth sclerites bound together by sheaths
of horn-like material |
|
39B
|
Chambered
core of axis surrounded by horn-like layers that may contain non-spicular
calcareous material |
40 |
40A
|
Polyps
non-retractile. Polyps covered in spindles that often forming chevrons |
|
40B
|
Polyps
retractile. Polyps without sclerites that form chevrons |
41 |
41A
|
Polyps
usually with sclerites comprising some form of crown and points. Sclerites
>0.3 mm in length |
|
41B
|
Polyps
without sclerites or with small rodlike bodies. Sclerites <0.3 mm in
length |
|
42A
|
Sclerites
include many double heads |
|
42B
|
No double
heads are present |
43 |
43A
|
Colonies
zooxanthellate, in shallow water (<50 m). Sclerites are irregularly
shaped ovals, rodlets, and crosses (<0.1 mm in length) |
|
43B
|
Colonies
azooxanthellate, in deeper water (mostly >50 m). Sclerites are mostly
derived from scales (>0.1 mm in length) |
44
|
44A
|
Surface
of axis longitudinally grooved, usually gray to black, sometimes with
a metallic luster |
|
44B |
Surface
of axis smooth, not grooved, with a metallic luster of greenish, bronze,
or gold |
|