Antipathes is a genus of coral in the order Antipatharia, composed of black coral (so named for its black skeleton). Distinct features vary greatly within this genus: it contains symmetrically aligned as well as irregularly shaped corals, a range of different colors, and colonies that can be either sparsely branched or closely packed. polyps for these corals have six tentacles that are each lined with stinging cells. Unlike their reef-building cousins, these coral lack photosynthesizing algae and are not restricted to the lighter surface regions. They prefer to live in deeper waters near currents so they can catch and eat passing zooplankton.
Species
Species included in this genus are:
- Antipathes aculeata <small>(Brook, 1889)</small>
- Antipathes arborea <small>Dana, 1846</small>
- Antipathes assimilis <small>(Brook, 1889)</small>
- Antipathes atlantica <small>Gray, 1857</small>
- Antipathes brooki <small>(Whitelegge & Hill, 1899)</small>
- Antipathes caribbeana <small>Opresko, 1996</small>
- Antipathes catharinae <small>(Pax, 1932)</small>
- Antipathes ceylonensis <small>(Thomson & Simpson, 1905)</small>
- Antipathes chamaemorus <small>Pax & Tischbierek, 1932</small>
- Antipathes chota <small>Cooper, 1903</small>
- Antipathes contorta <small>(Brook, 1889)</small>
- Antipathes craticulata <small>Opresko, 2015</small>
- Antipathes curvata <small>van Pesch, 1914</small>
- Antipathes delicatula <small>Schultze, 1896</small>
- Antipathes dendrochristos <small>Opresko, 2005</small>
- Antipathes densa <small>Silberfeld, 1909</small>
- Antipathes dichotoma <small>Pallas, 1766</small>
- Antipathes dofleini <small>Pax, 1915</small>
- Antipathes dubia <small>(Brook, 1889)</small>
- Antipathes elegans <small>(Thomson & Simpson, 1905)</small>
- Antipathes erinaceus <small>(Roule, 1905)</small>
- Antipathes fragilis <small>Gravier, 1918</small>
- Antipathes fruticosa <small>Gray, 1857</small>
- Antipathes furcata <small>Gray, 1857</small>
- Antipathes galapagensis <small>Deichmann, 1941</small>
- Antipathes gallensis <small>Thomson & Simpson, 1905</small>
- Antipathes gracilis <small>Gray, 1860</small>
- Antipathes grandiflora <small>Silberfeld, 1909</small>
- Antipathes grandis <small>Verrill, 1928</small>
- Antipathes grayi <small>Roule, 1905</small>
- Antipathes griggi <small>Opresko, 2009</small>
- Antipathes herdmanni <small>Cooper, 1909</small>
- Antipathes hypnoides <small>(Brook, 1889)</small>
- Antipathes indistincta <small>(van Pesch, 1914)</small>
- Antipathes irregularis <small>(Thomson & Simpson, 1905)</small>
- Antipathes irregularis <small>Cooper, 1909</small>
- Antipathes irregularis <small>Verrill, 1928</small>
- Antipathes lenta <small>Pourtalès, 1871</small>
- Antipathes lentipinna <small>Brook, 1889</small>
- Antipathes longibrachiata <small>van Pesch, 1914</small>
- Antipathes minor <small>(Brook, 1889)</small>
- Antipathes nilanduensis <small>Cooper, 1903</small>
- Antipathes orichalcea <small>Pallas, 1766</small>
- Antipathes pauroclema <small>Pax & Tischbierek, 1932</small>
- Antipathes plana <small>Cooper, 1909</small>
- Antipathes plantagenista <small>(Cooper, 1903)</small>
- Antipathes pseudodichotoma <small>Silberfeld, 1909</small>
- Antipathes regularis <small>Cooper, 1903</small>
- Antipathes rhipidion <small>Pax, 1916</small>
- Antipathes rubra <small>Cooper, 1903</small>
- Antipathes rubusiformis <small>Warner & Opresko, 2004</small>
- Antipathes salicoides <small>Summers, 1910</small>
- Antipathes sarothrum <small>Pax, 1932</small>
- Antipathes sealarki <small>Cooper, 1909</small>
- Antipathes sibogae <small>(van Pesch, 1914)</small>
- Antipathes simplex <small>(Schultze, 1896)</small>
- Antipathes simpsoni <small>(Summers, 1910)</small>
- Antipathes speciosa <small>(Brook, 1889)</small>
- Antipathes spinulosa <small>(Schultze, 1896)</small>
- Antipathes taxiformis <small>Duchassaing, 1870</small>
- Antipathes tenuispina <small>(Silberfeld, 1909)</small>
- Antipathes ternatensis <small>Schultze, 1896</small>
- Antipathes thamnoides <small>(Schultze, 1896)</small>
- Antipathes tristis <small>(Duchassaing, 1870)</small>
- Antipathes umbratica <small>Opresko, 1996</small>
- Antipathes viminalis <small>Roule, 1902</small>
- Antipathes virgata <small>Esper, 1788</small>
- Antipathes zoothallus <small>Pax, 1932</small>
References