What is Octocorallia?
Q: What is Octocorallia?
A: Octocorallia is a subclass of the Anthozoa in the phylum Cnidaria.
Q: How many different species of Octocorallia are there?
A: There are over 3,000 different species of Octocorallia.
Q: What is the symmetry of Octocorallia?
A: Octocorallia have an eight-fold symmetry.
Q: How are Octocorallia different from stony corals?
A: Octocorallia lack a lasting skeleton, unlike stony corals. This means they do not build coral reefs. Most Octocorallia also have a different, eight-fold symmetry compared to the six-fold symmetry of stony corals.
Q: What is the older name for Octocorallia?
A: The older name for Octocorallia is Alcyonaria.
Q: Do Octocorallia form symbioses with unicellular algae?
A: Yes, many species of Octocorallia form symbioses with unicellular algae.
Q: How do Octocorallia reproduce?
A: Many species of Octocorallia can reproduce both sexually and asexually. It is common to find a colony of Octocorallia where most polyps have the same sex.
