The Actiniidae is the largest family

Family (biology)

In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...

 of sea anemone

Sea anemone

Sea anemones are a group of water-dwelling, predatory animals of the order Actiniaria; they are named after the anemone, a terrestrial flower. Sea anemones are classified in the phylum Cnidaria, class Anthozoa, subclass Zoantharia. Anthozoa often have large polyps that allow for digestion of larger...

s, to which most common, temperate, shore species belong. Most members of this family do not participate in symbioses

Symbiosis

Symbiosis is close and often long-term interaction between different biological species. In 1877 Bennett used the word symbiosis to describe the mutualistic relationship in lichens...

 with fishes. One exception is the so-called bubble anemone - Entacmaea quadricolor.

The systematics of Actiniidae is often quite difficult. The problem with identification of genera within this family is that most species are readily distinguishable when alive but when fixated

Fixation (histology)

In the fields of histology, pathology, and cell biology, fixation is a chemical process by which biological tissues are preserved from decay, thereby preventing autolysis or putrefaction...

 lose their color and some other features. Arrangement of tentacles is important in defining genera for Actiniaria families. There may be one tentacle per space between mesenteries or there may be more than one tentacle between each two mesenteries. Members of the family Actiniidae have one tentacle per space.

Genera

Genera in this family include:

• Actinia
  Actinia
  Actinia is a genus of sea anemones in the family Actiniidae.-Species:The following species are listed in the World Register of Marine Species : *Actinia aster Ellis, 1768*Actinia australiensis Carlgren, 1950...
  
  Linnaeus, 1767
• Actinioides Haddon & Shackleton, 1893
• Actinopsis
• Actinostella
• Anemonia Risso, 1826
• Antheopsis Simon, 1892
• Anthopleura
  Anthopleura
  Not to be confused with Arthropleura, a giant centipede that lived during the Carboniferous.Anthopleura is a genus of sea anemones, of the family Actiniidae.-Species:Species in this genus include:* Anthopleura africana...
  
  Duchassaing de Fonbressin & Michelotti, 1860
• Anthostella
  Anthostella
  Anthostella is a small genus of sea anemones in the family Actiniidae. It has two described species.-Species:Species in the genus include:* Anthostella badia - * Anthostella stephensoni - Carlgren, 1938...
  
  Carlgren, 1938
• Aulactinia
  Aulactinia
  Aulactinia is a genus of sea anemones in the family Actiniidae.-Species:Species in the genus include:* Aulactinia capitata AG., MS...
  
  Verrill, 1864
• Bolocera Gosse, 1860
• Boloceropsis McMurrich, 1904
• Bunodactis
  Bunodactis
  Bunodactis is a genus of sea anemones in the family Actiniidae.-Species:Species in the genus include:* Bunodactis altifossa * Bunodactis aucklandica Carlgren, 1927* Bunodactis bunodiformis...
  
  Verril, 1899
• Bunodosoma
  Bunodosoma
  Bunodosoma is a genus of sea anemones in the family Actiniidae.-Species:Species in the genus include:* Bunodosoma biscayensis - * Bunodosoma caissarum - Corrêa in Belém, 1987* Bunodosoma californic - a Carlgren, 1951...
  
  Verrill, 1899
• Cancrisocia
• Cladactella Verrill, 1928
• Cnidopus Carlgren, 1934
• Condylactis Duchassaing de Fombressin & Michelotti, 1864
• Cribrina
• Cribrinopsis Carlgren, 1922
• Cystiactis
• Dofleinia Wassilieff, 1908
• Entacmaea Ehrenberg, 1834
• Epiactis
  Epiactis
  Epiactis is a genus of sea anemones in the family Actiniidae. There are about nineteen recognised species and the type species is Epiactis prolifera.-Taxonomy:...
  
  Verrill, 1869
• Evactis Verrill, 1869
• Glyphoperidium Roule, 1909
• Glyphostylum Roule, 1909
• Gyractis Boveri, 1893
• Gyrostoma Kwietniewski, 1898
• Isactinia Carlgren, 1900
• Isanemonia Carlgren, 1950
• Isantheopsis Carlgren, 1942
• Isoaulactinia Belém, Herrera & Schlenz, 1996
• Isocradactis Carlgren, 1924
• Isosicyonis Carlgren, 1927
• Isotealia Carlgren, 1899
• Isoulactis

• Korsaranthus Riemann-Zurneck, 1999
• Leiotealia
• Leipsiceras Stephenson, 1918
• Macrodactyla Haddon, 1898
• Mesactinia England, 1987
• Myonanthus McMurrich, 1893
• Neocondylactis England, 1987
• Neoparacondylactis Zamponi, 1974
• Onubactis Lopez-Gonzalez, den Hartog & Garcia-Gomez, 1995
• Oulactis Milne Edwards & Haime, 1851
• Parabunodactis Carlgren, 1928
• Paracondylactis Carlgren, 1934
• Paractis Milne-Edwards & Haime, 1851
• Paranemonia Carlgren, 1900
• Parantheopsis McMurrich, 1904
• Paratealia Mathew & Kurian, 1979
• Phialoba Carlgren, 1949
• Phlyctenactis Stuckey, 1909
• Phlyctenanthus Carlgren, 1949
• Phyllactis Milne Edwards & Haime, 1851
• Phymactis Milne Edwards, 1857
• Phymanthea
• Pseudactinia
  Pseudactinia
  Pseudactinia is a genus of sea anemones in the family Actiniidae.-Species:Species in the genus include:* Pseudactinia flagellifera * Pseudactinia infecunda * Pseudactinia melanaster...
  
  Carlgren, 1928
• Saccactis
• Spheractis England, 1992
• Stylobates Dall, 1903
• Synantheopsis England, 1992
• Tealia Gosse, 1858
• Tealianthus Carlgren, 1927
• Telactinia England, 1987
• Urticina
  Urticina
  Urticina is a genus of sea anemones in the family Actiniidae.-Species:The following species are listed in the World Register of Marine Species : *Urticina asiatica - *Urticina coccinea -...
  
  Ehrenberg, 1834
• Urticinopsis Carlgren, 1927

External links

• Anthopleura sola
• Images