Coral Reef Animals of The World

Coral Reef Animal Families

Class Hydrozoa
Fire Coral and Lace Coral Hydrocorals include fire corals in the Milleporidae family and lace corals in the Stylasteridae family. They are Cnidarians just like the stony corals, but are in the class Hydrozoa. They have a potent sting. Fire Coral and Lace Coral - Types California Hydrocoral - Stylaster californicus Fire Coral - Millepora alcicornis Articles Introducing Hydrozoa - Hydrozoans like the hydrocorals are hardy and easy to propagate, but beware the Fire Coral, it is a stinging hydroid

Corallimorphs
Mushroom Anemones Corallimorphs or Mushroom Anemones. Although similar to sea anemones as they have no calcerous skeleton, anatomically they more strongly resemble stony corals. Mushroom Anemones - Types Bubble Mushroom - Discosoma sanctithomae Bullseye Mushroom - Rhodactis inchoata Elephant Ear Mushroom - Rhodactis mussoides Florida False Coral - Ricordea florida Forked Tentacled Mushroom - Discosoma carlgreni Giant Cup Mushroom - Amplexidiscus fenestrafer Green Fuzzy Mushroom - Discosoma howesii Green Hairy Mushroom - Rhodactis indosinensis Green Metallic Mushroom - Actinodiscus malaccensis Knobby False Coral - Ricordea yuma Metallic Blue Mushroom - Actinodiscus coerulea Mushroom Coral - Actinodiscus punctata Purple Hairy Mushroom - Rhodactis rhodostoma Purple Mushroom - Actinodiscus nummiformis Radiating Mushroom Coral - Actinodiscus striata Red Mushroom - Actinodiscus cardinalis Red Striped Mushroom - Actinodiscus ferrugatus Speckled Mushroom - Actinodiscus mutabilis Strawberry Anemone - Corynactis californica Umbrella Mushroom - Discosoma neglecta Wagon Wheel Mushroom - Actinodiscus marmoratus Articles Mushroom Coral Information - Mushroom Corals have features of both sea anemones and stony corals, but lack a skeleton and long feeding tentacles!

Octocorals - Soft Corals
Gorgonians Sea Fans and Sea Whips - members of the subclass Octocorallia. This group is called the Octocorals, and loosely referred to as soft corals. Gorgonians - Types Bushy Sea Rod - Rumphella Sp. Corky Sea Finger - Briareum asbestinum Encrusting Gorgonian - Erythropodium caribaeorum Finger Sea Fan - Diodogorgia nodulifera Pacific Encrusting Gorgonian - Briareum stechei Purple Bush Sea Fan - Muriceopsis flavida Purple Sea Blade - Pterogoria Sp. Red Gorgonian - Leptogorgia chilensis Splendid Knotted Fan Coral - Acabaria splendens Articles What Are Gorgonians - Gorgonians, the elegant Sea Fans and Sea whips! Gorgonain Informaton, Gorgonian care for all types of gorgonians, and Gorgonian Photos. Leather Corals Types of Leather Corals - Beginner Aquarium Soft Corals. They come in all sorts of attractive shapes and can be quite dynamic in the reef aquarium. Leather Corals - Types Cabbage Leather Coral - Lobophytum crassum Cabbage Leather Coral - Sinularia dura Colt Coral - Cladiella Sp. Common Toadstool Coral - Sarcophyton glaucum Devil's Hand Coral - Lobophytum Sp. Elephant Ear Coral - Sarcophyton trocheliophorum Finger Leather Coral - Sinularia notanda Flexible Leather Coral - Sinularia flexibilis Yellow Leather Coral - Sarcophyton elegans Yellow Toadstool Leather Coral - Sarcophyton tenuispiculatum Articles Leather Coral Facts - Leather Coral Information, Leather Corals are the best beginner aquarium soft corals, Leather Coral care for all types of leather corals! Soft Corals Types of Soft Coral in the Family Alcyoniidae. The true soft corals consist of many beautiful species that occur in all the colors of the rainbow and come in all sorts of attractive shapes. Soft Corals - Types Carnation Coral - Dendronephthya Sp. Dead Man's Finger Coral - Alcyonium sp. Kenya Tree Coral - Capnella Sp. Palm Tree Polyps - Clavularia Sp. Pulse Coral - Xenia Sp. Tree Coral - Lemnalia Sp. Waving Hand Coral - Anthelia Sp. Articles Soft Coral Facts and Information - Soft Corals in the Order Alcyonacea include some of the best beginner corals, Soft Coral Information for All Types of Soft Coral! Unique Octocorals Blue Coral, Organ Pipe Coral, Green Star Polyps, Sea Pens. Unique Octocorals - Types Blue Coral - Heliopora coerulea Fleshy Sea Pen - Ptilosarcus gurneyi Green Star Polyps - Pachyclavularia violacea Organ Pipe Coral - Tubipora musica Articles What Are Octocorals - Octocorals include some of the best beginner corals, the Soft Coral and Leather Coral, and other popular corals like Gorgonians, Blue Coral and Organ Pipe Coral, and the intriguing Sea Pens and Mat Polyps!

Order: Actiniaria and Ceriantharia
Anemones Watching an anemone living with a clownfish is one cool experience! Learn about aquarium care for anemones and which ones are most likely to host clownfish. Anemones - Types Adhesive Sea Anemone - Cryptodendrum adhaesivum Bali Fire Anemone - Megalactis hemprichi Banded Tube Anemone - Pachycerianthus maua Beaded Sea Anemone - Heteractis aurora Beadlet Anemone - Actinia equina Brown Glass Anemone - Aiptasia pallida Bubble Tip Anemone - Entacmaea quadricolor Burrowing Tube Anemone - Pachycerianthus fimbriatus Caribbean Carpet Anemone - Stichodactyla helianthus Christmas Anemone - Urticina crassicornis Condy Anemone - Condylactis gigantea Curlique Anemone - Bartholomea annulata Dahlia Anemone - Urticina felina Delicate Sea Anemone - Heteractis malu Fish Eating Anemone - Urticina piscivora Giant Carpet Anemone - Stichodactyla gigantea Giant Green Anemone - Anthopleura xanthogrammica Giant White-Plumed Anemone - Metridium giganteum Glass Anemone - Aiptasia pulchella Hell's Fire Anemone - Actinodendron plumosum Long Tentacle Anemone - Macrodactyla doreensis Magnificent Sea Anemone - Heteractis magnifica Manjano Anemone - Anemonia manjano Merten's Carpet Anemone - Stichodactyla mertensii North American Tube Anemone - Ceriantheopsis americanus North Sea Tube Anemone - Cerianthus lloydii Painted Anemone - Urticina grebelnyi Pink-Tipped Anemone - Condylactis passiflora Red Beaded Anemone - Phymanthus crucifer Saddle Anemone - Stichodactyla haddoni Sebae Anemone - Heteractis crispa Small Rock Anemone - Aiptasia diaphana Trumpet Anemone - Aiptasia mutabilis Tube Anemone - Cerianthus membranaceus White-Spotted Rose Anemone - Urticina lofotensis Articles Aiptasia Pests - Getting Rid of Glass Anemones - Aiptasia grow like weeds, take over the reef tank, and are very hard to control! A variety of approaches include chemical controls to using sea anemone predators. Aiptasia Sea Anemone Facts - Aiptaisa means beautiful, and they can be... but they can be also reek havoc on reef tanks! Meet the Aiptasia sea anemone species and discover the pros and cons of Aiptasia in captivity Clown Fish Anemone: 10 Clownfish Hosting Sea Anemone Species - Sea anemone facts about the 10 types of anemones that host clownfish, the ones that are hardy aquarium anemones, and a buy sea anemone checklist! Nettle Anemones - Urticina means nettle, a stinging plant. Like all sea anemones they do have a sting, but the Urticina cold water sea anemones have much more... being very beautiful they are known as flowers of the sea! Tube Anemone or Burrowing Sea Anemone - Sea anemone facts about tube dwelling anemones, a different animal than the true anemones!

Order: Zoantharia - Zoanthus, Palythoa, Zoas
Zoanthids Button Polyps, Colonial Anemones, Sea Mats. They resemble clusters of miniature sea anemones, often growing like a mat across a hard substrate. Zoanthids - Types Button Polyps - Zoanthus sp. Colonial Yellow Polyps - Parazoanthus axinellae Giant Sun Polyp - Protopalythoa grandis Green Button Polyp - Protopalythoa mutuki Moon Polyps - Palythoa sp. Snake Polyps - Isaurus Sp. Stick Polyps - Ancrozoanthus Sp. Trumpet Polyp - Protopalythoa variabilis Yellow Polyps - Parazoanthus gracilis Articles Fabulous Zoanthids - Zoanthids are an incredible beginners coral, the Button Polyps are easy to care for and make a bright, colorful display in the reef aquarium!

Stony Corals
Stony Corals LPS Large Polyp Stony Corals. These corals are generally larger calcareous corals. They have much larger fleshy polyps than those of the small polyp stony (SPS) corals. Stony Corals LPS - Types Acan Echinata - Acanthastrea echinata Acan Lord - Acanthastrea lordhowensis Anchor Coral - Euphyllia ancora Black Sun Coral - Tubastrea micrantha Blasto Coral - Blastomussa wellsi Branching Flowerpot Coral - Alveopora Sp. Bubble Coral - Plerogyra sinuosa Bullseye Coral - Caulastrea curvata Button Coral - Acanthophyllia deshayesiana Candycane Coral - Caulastrea furcata Cat's Eye Coral - Cynarina lacrymalis Cup Coral - Balanophyllia bairdiana Disk Coral - Fungia Sp. Elegance Coral - Catalaphyllia jardinei Fancy Doughnut Coral - Scolymia vitiensis Favites Coral - Favites Sp. Flowerpot Coral - Goniopora stokesi Fox Coral - Nemenzophyllia turbida Frogspawn Coral - Euphyllia divisa Galaxy Coral - Galaxea fascicularis Goniopora Coral - Goniopora Sp. Grape Coral - Euphyllia cristata Hammer Coral - Euphyllia fimbriata Hedgehog Coral - Echinopora Sp. Lesser Knob Coral - Cyphastrea decadia Lobed Brain Coral - Lobophyllia hemprichii Maze Brain Coral - Platygyra Sp. Micromussa Coral - Micromusa Sp. Open Brain Coral - Trachyphyllia geoffroyi Orange Sun Coral - Tubastrea faulkneri Pacific Rose Coral - Trachyphyllia radiata Pearl Bubble Coral - Physogyra lichtensteini Pearl Coral - Plerogyra flexuosa Pineapple Coral - Blastomussa merletti Plate Coral - Heliofungia actiniformis Scroll Coral - Turbinaria reniformis Slipper Coral - Polyphyllia talpina Symphyllia Brain Coral - Symphyllia Sp. Tongue Coral - Herpolitha limax Torch Coral - Euphyllia glabrescens Trumpet Coral - Caulastrea echinulata Turban Coral - Turbinaria peltata Yellow Cup Coral - Turbinaria frondens Yellow Sun Coral - Tubastrea aurea Stony Corals SPS Small Polyp Stony Corals. The SPS corals have much smaller polyps than the LPS corals. SPS corals are usually either branching or plated. Stony Corals SPS - Types Antler Coral - Acropora microphthalma Bird's Nest Coral - Seriatopora hystrix Boulder Coral - Porites Porites sp. Cabbage Coral - Montipora foliosa Cauliflower Coral - Pocillopora damicornis Chalice Coral - Echinophyllia aspera Club Finger Coral - Stylophora pistillata Cluster Coral - Acropora millepora Elephant Skin Coral - Pachyseris rugosa Finger Staghorn Coral - Acropora humilis Green Eyed Cup Coral - Mycedium Sp. Green Fiji Acropora - Acropora bushyensis Green Stony Pillar Coral - Psammacora contigua Horn Coral - Hydnophora rigida Idaho Grape Montipora - Montipora undata Jeweled Finger Coral - Porites cylindrica Leaf Coral - Pavona decussata Maldive Coral - Pavona maldivensis Montipora Plate Coral - Montipora capricornis Plating Montipora Coral - Montipora peltiformis Purple Tipped Acropora - Acropora tenuis Ruffled Coral - Merulina ampliata Staghorn Acropora - Acropora formosa Staghorn Coral - Acropora cervicornis Velvet Finger Montipora - Montipora digitata Velvet Stone Coral - Montipora spongodes Articles Keeping Acropora Corals - Elegant Staghorn Corals are the building blocks of the worlds coral reefs, keeping Acropora corals can create a beautiful home reef as well! Montipora Best SPS Corals For Beginners - SPS Corals For Beginners starts right here with the Montipora coral. Coral facts from the types of coral through live coral care!

Tridacnid Clams
Giant Clams Tridacna Clams and Hippopus Clams. Tridacna Clams and Hippopus Clams are beautiful, hardy, grow rapidly, and require little care. It is important to be well prepared for the care of your clam before actually purchasing one. Giant Clams - Types Crocea Clams - Tridacna crocea Derasa Clams - Tridacna derasa Gigas Clam - Giant Clam - Tridacna gigas Hippopus Clam - Hippopus hippopus Maxima Clams - Tridacna maxima Squamosa Clams - Tridacna squamosa Articles Care of Tridacnid Clams - Giant Clam Care, Clam facts about the Care of Tridacnid Clams starts with what to know about giant clams for sale, the reef aquarium setup and lighting, placing clams in the reef tank, feeding and caring for them, and watching out for hitchhikers, predators and pests! Tridacnid Clams Ailments - Giant Clam Ailments, Friends and Enemies. Facts about clams predators, hitchhikers, pests, and diseases - everything from pesky fish, snails and crabs, to clam worms, mantis shrimp, and Protozoans!

Note: For simplicity and lack of confusion, we have followed the classifications and categories as presented in Julian Sprung and J. Charles Delbeeks' book , The Reef Aquarium - Volumes One and Two, 1994 and 1997. This often differs from the hobbyist classification.