Stylasteridae

Stylasteridae
Stylaster nobilis
Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Cnidaria
Class: Hydrozoa
Order: Anthoathecata
Suborder: Filifera
Family: Stylasteridae
Gray, 1847
Genera

See text

Synonyms
  • Adeloporinae Cairns, 1982
  • Distichoporinae Stechow, 1921
  • Stylasterinae Gray, 1847

Stylasteridae, also known as lace corals, is a family of colonial hydrozoans with a calcified skeleton. They first appeared 65 million years ago in deep waters. About 10% of the species have adapted to shallow water. In shallow reefs they can grow up to 25 cm tall × 30 cm wide, but some species in deeper waters can reach 1 meter.