: Includes sea anemones and stony corals. They typically have tentacles and mesenteries in multiples of six.
: The body consists of a central gastrovascular cavity divided by vertical partitions called mesenteries or septa. These mesenteries increase the surface area for digestion and support the gonads. actinozoa
: While sea anemones are typically solitary, many Actinozoans (like reef-building corals) form massive colonies of interconnected clones. Classification : Includes sea anemones and stony corals
(now more commonly known as the class Anthozoa ) is a major group of marine invertebrates within the phylum Cnidaria . This class includes well-known sea creatures like sea anemones, stony corals, soft corals, and sea fans. Key Characteristics These mesenteries increase the surface area for digestion
Historically, Actinozoa was divided into two main groups based on their symmetry and tentacle count:
: Unlike many other cnidarians (such as jellyfish), Actinozoans do not have a medusa (free-swimming) stage in their life cycle. They remain as polyps throughout their lives.
