Briareum violaceum

Super Group: 
Eukaryota
Phylum: 
Cnidaria
Class: 
Anthozoa
Order: 
Alcyonacea
Family: 
Briareidae
Genus: 
Briareum
Species: 
violaceum
Authority: 
(Quoy & Gaimard, 1833)

Diagnosis

Colonies lobate, digitate or encrusting, normally with a whitish outer layer and magenta inner layer, but completely magenta or white colonies also occur. Polyps monomorphic, retractile, and without sclerites. Protruding false calyces appear in varying degrees of prominence or are not present at all. Surface layer with straight or curved spindles. Medulla with sclerites shaped like those of the surface layer but larger and coarser, and with additional branching sclerites, which can be fused. Zooxanthellate.
Only spindles present in coenenchyme ; Many spindles with pointed ends in coenenchyme, all sclerites magenta
Top of the calyces with some rods, 0.10–0.15 mm long. ; Cortex sclerites up to 1 mm long ; sclerites slightly shorter, up to 0.70 mm long 

Observation site(s)

SYMBIONTS

Displaying 1 - 2 of 2
Association with... Region origin Name of site In reference...
Symbiodinium- clade C Hook Island
VAN OPPEN MJH, MIEOG JC, SANCHEZ CA, FABRICIUS KE (2005) Diversity of algal endosymbionts (zooxanthellae) in octocorals: the roles of geography and host relationships. Molecular Ecology 14:2403 - 2417. doi: 10.1111/mec.2005.14.issue-810.1111/j.1365-294X.2005.02545.x
Symbiodinium- clade C Dungeness Reef
VAN OPPEN MJH, MIEOG JC, SANCHEZ CA, FABRICIUS KE (2005) Diversity of algal endosymbionts (zooxanthellae) in octocorals: the roles of geography and host relationships. Molecular Ecology 14:2403 - 2417. doi: 10.1111/mec.2005.14.issue-810.1111/j.1365-294X.2005.02545.x