The hobbyist idea of "soft corals" is quite different
than the actual definition. True soft corals, according to the definition,
all belong to the subclass Octocorallia. The name "Octocorallia"
refers to the fact that each polyp has eight tentacles. This can be confusing
since many 'soft corals' are not actually soft. This definition includes
such corals as the "Blue Coral", Heliopora coerulea,
the Pipe Organ coral Tubipora musica, and the Gorgonians, all
of which produce hard shells or skeletons. Another characteristic of true
soft corals are the side branches of the polyp tentacle, called 'pinnules',
which give the polyps a feathery look. Although pinnules are a sure sign
of a soft coral, not all soft corals have them.
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To the hobbyist soft corals are those that lack a hard skeleton
like stony corals and don't have a tough skin like the leather corals. This
is basically what we are listing in this section with the addition of the
blue coral since it doesn't fit easily into any of the other categories.
Many soft corals contain zooxanthellae and so need a lot of
light. On the other hand many of them, like the carnation corals, grow on
the underside of reef ledges or shaded areas and don't require light. They
usually must be fed to survive in the aquarium.
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