Back Octocorallia AF مرجانيات ثمانية Arabic مرجانيات تمنيه ARZ Səkkizşüalılar AZ Васьміпрамянёвыя каралы BE Octocorallia Bulgarian Octocoral·lis Catalan Ottearmede koraldyr Danish Octocorallia German Οκτακοράλλια Greek
| Octocorallia Temporal range:
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| Dendronephthya klunzingeri | |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Cnidaria |
| Subphylum: | Anthozoa |
| Class: | Octocorallia Haeckel, 1866 |
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Octocorallia (also known as Alcyonaria) is a class of Anthozoa comprising over 3,000 species[1] of marine organisms formed of colonial polyps with 8-fold symmetry. It includes the blue coral, soft corals, sea pens, and gorgonians (sea fans and sea whips) within three orders: Alcyonacea, Helioporacea, and Pennatulacea.[2] These organisms have an internal skeleton secreted by mesoglea and polyps with eight tentacles and eight mesentaries. As with all cnidarians these organisms have a complex life cycle including a motile phase when they are considered plankton and later characteristic sessile phase.
Octocorals have existed at least since the Ordovician period, as shown by Maurits Lindström's findings in the 1970s.[3] Recent work suggesting that the Cambrian Pywackia may represent a Cambrian octocoral[4] is disputed.[5][6]
- ^ WoRMS Database: "Octocorallia Tree": https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=browser&id=1292#focus
- ^ Daly, M.; Brugler, M.P.; Cartwright, P.; Collins, A.G.; Dawson, M.N.; Fautin, D.G.; France, S.C.; McFadden, C.S.; Opresko, D.M.; Rogriguez, E.; Romano, S.L.; Stake, J.L. (21 July 2007). "The phylum Cnidaria: A review of phylogenetic patterns and diversity 300 years after Linnaeus" (PDF). Zootaxa. 1668: 1–766. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.1668.1.11. hdl:1808/13641. ISSN 1175-5326. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 June 2010.
- ^ Bergström, Stig M.; Bergström, Jan; Kumpulainen, Risto; Ormö, Jens; Sturkell, Erik (2007). "Maurits Lindström – A renaissance geoscientist". GFF. 129 (2): 65–70. Bibcode:2007GFF...129...65B. doi:10.1080/11035890701292065. S2CID 140593975.
- ^ Taylor, Paul D.; Berning, Björn; Wilson, Mark A. (November 2013). "Reinterpretation of the Cambrian 'bryozoan' Pywackia as an octocoral". Journal of Paleontology. 87 (6): 984–990. Bibcode:2013JPal...87..984T. doi:10.1666/13-029. ISSN 0022-3360. S2CID 129113026.
- ^ Landing, Ed; Antcliffe, Jonathan B.; Brasier, Martin D.; English, Adam B. (2015). "Distinguishing Earth's oldest known bryozoan (Pywackia, late Cambrian) from pennatulacean octocorals (Mesozoic–Recent)". Journal of Paleontology. 89 (2): 292–317. Bibcode:2015JPal...89..292L. doi:10.1017/jpa.2014.26.
- ^ Hageman, Steven J.; Vinn, Olev (2023). "Late Cambrian Pywackia is a cnidarian, not a bryozoan: Insights from skeletal microstructure". Journal of Paleontology. 97 (5): 990–1001. Bibcode:2023JPal...97..990H. doi:10.1017/jpa.2023.35.