Zoanthus pacificus

Super Group: 
Eukaryota
Phylum: 
Cnidaria
Class: 
Anthozoa
Order: 
Zoantharia
Family: 
Zoanthidae
Genus: 
Zoanthus
Species: 
pacificus
Authority: 
Walsh & Bowers
Synonym(s): 
Zoanthus coppingeri
Zoanthus sansibaricus

Diagnosis

Diagnosis : External morphology variable depending upon habitat ; on reefs, polyps growing from lamellar coenenchyme and in very close proximity to each other, bases separate; in surge pools, lamellar coenenchyme but polyps not as crowded, bases often united; on rocky, wave-washed shores, coenenchyme lamellar or stolonar, polyps single or in groups of two or three, often between polyps of P. vestihrs height of living, expanded polyps to 15 mm; diameter to 7 mm; mesenteries and tentacles to 60 in number; proximal portion of sphincter with cavities of irregular shape, pigment granules in epidermis and outer half of mesoglea; single basal canal along entire length of macrocnemes.

External aspects : External morphology variable, depending upon habitat ; on reefs, lamellar coenenchyme, polyps in very close proximity to each other (Plate 6) but with bases separate; in surge pools, lamellar coenenchyme, polyps not as crowded
 bases often united ; on rocky, wave-washed shores, coenenchyme lamellar or stolonar, polyps single or in groups of two or three,  living polyp to 15 mm; diameter to 7 mm; tentacles to 60 in number.
Sphincter : Proximal portion of sphincter composed of cavities of irregular shape
 

Observation site(s)

SYMBIONTS