Scleraxonia

Scleraxonia is a suborder of corals, a member of the phylum Cnidaria.

Characteristics

Members of Scleraxonia have a skeletal axis made of calcified spicules, organic fibres or both, which may be separate, linked or fused together.

There are nine recognised families in this suborder and over thirty genera, with four families (Anthothelidae, Briareidae, Coralliidae and Subergorgiidae) containing some deep-water species and two families (Paragorgiidae and Parisididae) being exclusively deep water.

Families and genera in this suborder include:

Anthothelidae Broch, 1916
- Alertigorgia Kükenthal, 1908
- Anthothela Verrill, 1879
- Briareopsis Bayer, 1993
- Erythropodium Kölliker, 1865
- Iciligorgia Duchassaing, 1870
- Lateothela Moore, Alderslade & Miller, 2017
- Solenocaulon Gray, 1862
- Stereogorgia
- Tubigorgia Pasternak, 1985
- Williamsium Moore, Alderslade & Miller, 2017
Briareidae Gray, 1859
- Briareum Blainville, 1834
- Lignopsis Perez & Zamponi, 2000
- Pseudosuberia Kükenthal, 1919
Coralliidae Lamouroux, 1812
- Corallium Cuvier, 1798
- Hemicorallium Gray, 1867
- Paracorallium Bayer & Cairns, 2003
Melithaeidae Gray, 1870
- Asperaxis Alderslade, 2007
- Melithaea Milne-Edwards, 1857
Paragorgiidae Kukenthal, 1916
- Paragorgia Milne-Edwards, 1857
- Sibogagorgia Stiasny, 1937
Parisididae Aurivillius, 1931
- Parisis Verrill, 1864
Spongiodermidae Wright & Studer, 1889
- Callipodium Verrill, 1876
- Diodogorgia Kuekenthal, 1919
- Homophyton Gray, 1866
- Sclerophyton Cairns & Wirshing, 2015
- Titanideum Verrill, 1864
- Tripalea Bayer, 1955
Subergorgiidae Gray, 1859
- Annella Gray, 1858
- Rosgorgia Lopez Gonzalez & Gili, 2001
- Subergorgia Gray, 1857
Victorgorgiidae Moore, Alderslade & Miller, 2017
- Victorgorgia Lopez Gonzalez & Briand, 2002