Corallimorphidae Family of Coral Anemones

One Coral Anemone of the Corallimorphidae Family can be found in this website:

Strawberry Anemone, Corynactis californica. A representative of the Corallimorphidae Family of False Corals or Mushroom Anemones.

Phylogeny:  Coral Anemones are a member of the Corallimorphidae Family. Like stony corals, jellyfish, and hydroids, the belong to the phylum Cnidaria. They are in the class Anthozoa and the order Corallimorpharia. The Corallimorphidae Family contains four genera and twenty-three species. Species in the Corallimorphidae Family are also known as Corallimorphs, False Corals, and Mushroom Anemones. The name Corallimorphidae comes from the Greek words meaning “coral-like appearance”.

Morphology:  Corallimorphs have radial symmetry, a hollow digestive cavity, and specialized stinging structure in tentacles surrounding the mouth. They are similar to hard corals in their internal structure, but they lack an external calcareous skeleton. They differ from True Anemones in that their tentacles end in knobs and their tentacles are not retractile. They have narrow columns that are often hidden by the disc. The tentacles may be relatively long or so short as to just appear as bumps around the disc. Corallimorphs are often brightly colored with a flower-like appearance. Most Corallimorphs are small, with a disc measuring between 1.0 cm (0.4 inches) and 2.9 cm (0.8 inches) in diameter. Some deep-water species have disc that are a maximum of 30 cm (12  inches) in width.

Habitat and Distribution: Corallimorphs may be found attached to hard surfaces or anchored in soft substrates. They are found from the intertidal zone to depths exceeding 5,000 m (16,400 feet). They can reside as solitary or colonial individuals. Coral Anemones are found worldwide, in tropical to polar seas. Two species from this family are found in Mexican waters.

Reproduction:  Coral Anemones are gonochoric (male or female for life) and most species reproduce sexually through broadcast spawning with external fertilization. The zygotes develop into planktonic larvae.  Some species in this family brood their larvae internally. Coral Anemones also reproduce asexually by budding, fission and pedal laceration (as the polyp moves, it leaves behind small pieces of its foot, which can then grow into new polyps).

Ecosystem Roles:  Corallimorphs are predators that consume crustaceans, echinoderms, fish, mollusks and other invertebrates via utilization of the stinging cells present within their tentacles to paralyze their prey. Some shallow water species also possess zooxanthellate having a symbiotic relationship with these single-cell dinoflagellates. The zooxanthellae produce energy, during daylight, via photosynthesis and pass along the energy to their hosts, sometimes providing up to 90% of the host’s total energy needs. In return, the host provides nutrients, carbon dioxide, and a secure, sunlit, platform for the zooxanthellae. In turn they are preyed up by annelid worms, fish, and starfish. Some species have commensal or symbiotic relationships with fish or shrimp. Their attachment to the substrate is not permanent or fixed in one location. They can crawl slowly, while remaining attached. Also, many species can detach from the substrate and drift or roll, to escape predators. Some Corallimorphs secrete a toxin that repels hard corals and other encrusting organisms, thereby reducing completion for space and food. Some species of Corallimorphs are highly invasive when introduced to coral reef ecosystems.