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Zoanthids (order
Order (biology)

In Biological classification used in biology, the order is a taxonomic rank between class and family . The superorder is a rank between class and order....
 Zoanthidea) are an order of cnidarians commonly found in coral reefs, the deep sea and many other marine environments around the world. These animal
Animal

Animals are a major group of multicellular, eukaryotic organisms of the Kingdom Animalia or Metazoa. Their body plan eventually becomes fixed as they develop, although some undergo a process of metamorphosis later on in their life....
s come in a variety of different colonizing formations and in numerous colors. They can be found as individual polyps, attached by a fleshy stolon
Stolon

Stolons are horizontal plant stems which grow at the soil surface or below ground. They form new plants at the ends or at the Node s. Stolons are often called runners....
 or a mat that can be created from small pieces of sediment
Sediment

Sediment is any particulate matter that can be sediment transport by fluid dynamics, and which eventually is deposited.Sediments are most often transported by water transported by wind and glaciers....
, sand and rock. The term "zoanthid" refers to all animals within this order Zoanthidea (also called Zoanthiniaria), and should not be confused with "Zoanthus", which is one genus within Zoanthidea.

thids can be distinguished from other colonial anthozoans and soft coral by their characteristic of incorporating sand and other small pieces of material into their tissue to help make their structure.






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Zoanthids (order
Order (biology)

In Biological classification used in biology, the order is a taxonomic rank between class and family . The superorder is a rank between class and order....
 Zoanthidea) are an order of cnidarians commonly found in coral reefs, the deep sea and many other marine environments around the world. These animal
Animal

Animals are a major group of multicellular, eukaryotic organisms of the Kingdom Animalia or Metazoa. Their body plan eventually becomes fixed as they develop, although some undergo a process of metamorphosis later on in their life....
s come in a variety of different colonizing formations and in numerous colors. They can be found as individual polyps, attached by a fleshy stolon
Stolon

Stolons are horizontal plant stems which grow at the soil surface or below ground. They form new plants at the ends or at the Node s. Stolons are often called runners....
 or a mat that can be created from small pieces of sediment
Sediment

Sediment is any particulate matter that can be sediment transport by fluid dynamics, and which eventually is deposited.Sediments are most often transported by water transported by wind and glaciers....
, sand and rock. The term "zoanthid" refers to all animals within this order Zoanthidea (also called Zoanthiniaria), and should not be confused with "Zoanthus", which is one genus within Zoanthidea.

Characteristics

Zoanthids can be distinguished from other colonial anthozoans and soft coral by their characteristic of incorporating sand and other small pieces of material into their tissue to help make their structure. All known zoanthids have this unique feature, excepting the Family Zoanthidae. While the most well-known zoanthids are the zooxanthellate genera found in tropical and sub-tropical waters (primarily Zoanthus and Palythoa), many other species and genera exist, some still relatively unknown to science. Many zoanthids (in particular the genera Epizoanthus and Parazoanthus) are often found growing on other marine invertebrates.

Often in zooxanthellate genera such as Zoanthus and Palythoa there are a large number of different morphs
Polymorphism (biology)

Polymorphism in biology occurs when two or more clearly different phenotypes exist in the same population of a species ? in other words, the occurrence of more than one form or morph....
 of the same or similar species. Such zooxanthellate genera derive a large portion of their energy requirements from symbiotic dinoflagallates of the genus Symbiodinium (zooxanthellae), similar to many corals, anemones, and some other marine invertebrates.

Families and genera

The families and genera within the order Zoantharia (also known as Zoanthidea) are:
  • Family Abyssoanthidae
    • Genus Abyssoanthus
  • Family Epizoanthidae
    • Genus Epizoanthus
  • Family Parazoanthidae
    • Genus Parazoanthus
    • Genus Isozoanthus
    • Genus Savalia
  • Family Sphenopidae
    • Genus Palythoa
    • Genus Sphenopus
  • Family Zoanthidae
    • Genus Zoanthus
    • Genus Acrozoanthus
    • Genus Isaurus


Additionally, there are other zoanthid genera such as Neozoanthus for which there are currently only few data available.

Dangers

Some zoanthids contain the highly toxic substance palytoxin
Palytoxin

Palytoxin is a complex marine natural product containing 71 Chirality . Palytoxin, isolated from Zoanthid, is considered to be one of the most toxic non-peptide substances known, second only to maitotoxin....
. Palytoxin is one of the most toxic organic substances in the world, but there is an ongoing debate over the concentration of this toxin in these animals. However, even in small quantities, the toxin
Toxin

A toxin is a poisonous substance produced by living cells or organisms. For a toxic substance not produced by living organisms, "toxicant" is the more appropriate term, and "toxics" is an acceptable plural....
 can be fatal should it be ingested or enter the blood stream. If delivered immediately, vasodilators injected into the ventricle
Ventricle (heart)

In the heart, a ventricle is a heart chamber which collects blood from an atrium and pumps it out of the heart.In a four-chambered heart, such as that in humans, there are two ventricles: the right ventricle pumps blood into the pulmonary circulation for the lungs, and the left ventricle pumps blood into the systemic cir...
 of the heart can act as an antidote
Antidote

An antidote is a substance which can counteract a form of poison. The term ultimately derives from the Greek a?t?d?d??a? antididonai, "given against"....
.

In order for this toxin to be dangerous to humans, the average aquarist would need to ingest the zoanthid in sufficient quantities, or brush a recent cut over it. Average handling, propagation and aquarium maintenance is unlikely to pose any danger beyond a localized skin reaction.

Diet

Zoanthids feed both by photosynthesis
Photosynthesis

File:Seawifs global biosphere.jpgPhotosynthesis is a metabolic pathway that converts carbon dioxide into organic compounds, especially sugars, using the energy from sunlight....
, aided by the zooxanthellae they contain, and by capturing plankton
Plankton

Plankton consist of any drifting organisms that inhabit the pelagic zone of oceans, seas, or bodies of fresh water. Plankton are defined by their ecological niche rather than their Phylogenetics or taxonomy classification....
 and particulate matter. Although photosynthesis aids in their nutrition, even species that do not actively capture plankton cannot live through photosynthesis alone. Zoanthis can eat meaty foods, such as lancefish, brine shrimp, krill and bloodworms.

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