软珊瑚目意思解释
软珊瑚目（学名：Alcyonacea），刺胞动物门八放珊瑚亚纲一目。此目动物统称软珊瑚。群体形态多样，有块形、蘑菇形以及宛如花草的分枝植物形。已知有1,000多种，大部分生活在热带和亚热带浅海区，少数种类分布在温带、寒带和深海区，最大栖息深度8,610米。
软珊瑚群体的基部称柄部，无水螅体；上部称冠部，布满水螅体。水螅体嵌于共肉中，并能从中伸出到群体表面之上，如软珊瑚属(Alcyonium)等。有些群体的水螅体不能收缩，如异花软珊瑚属(Xenia)等。水螅体和群体通常都具有许多钙质骨针。深水种类所含的骨针常较浅水种类多，因而身体没有浅水种类柔软。骨针形状随种类而异，在软珊瑚属中，一般为长纺锤形或棒形；在异花软珊瑚科中，骨针小而薄，卵圆形。在硬轴柳珊瑚亚目和全轴柳珊瑚亚目的珊瑚群体中，许多骨针则融合成骨轴。
软珊瑚的颜色非常美丽，常见的有红、橙黄、绿、紫、褐等色。有些软珊瑚是建造珊瑚礁和水下花园的重要种类。
1981年F.M.拜尔根据原八放珊瑚亚纲的根枝珊瑚目(Stolonifera)、石花虫目(Telestacea)、软珊瑚目(Alcyonacea)和柳珊瑚目(Gorgonacea)之间有中间类型相连接，都并入软珊瑚目，并将过去的软珊瑚目降为软珊瑚亚目(Alcyoniina)，它包括拟软珊瑚科(Paralcyonidae)、软珊瑚科(Alcyoniidae)、星针软珊瑚科(Asterospiculariidae)棘软珊瑚科(Nephtheidae)、巢软珊瑚科(Nidaliidae)和异花软珊瑚科(Xeniidae)6个科。
分类
根据WoRMS，本目物种尚可细分为下列各亚目与科：
- 软珊瑚亚目 Alcyoniina
- family Acrophytidae McFadden & Ofwegen, 2017
- family Alcyoniidae Lamouroux, 1812
- family Aquaumbridae Breedy, van Ofwegen & Vargas, 2012
- family Corymbophytidae McFadden & Ofwegen, 2017
- family Leptophytidae McFadden & Ofwegen, 2017
- 穗珊瑚科 Nephtheidae Gray, 1862
- family Nidaliidae Gray, 1869
- family Paralcyoniidae Gray, 1869
- family Xeniidae Ehrenberg, 1828
- suborder Calcaxonia
- family Chrysogorgiidae Verrill, 1883
- family Ellisellidae Gray, 1859
- family Ifalukellidae Bayer, 1955
- family Isididae Lamouroux, 1812
- family Primnoidae Milne Edwards, 1857
- suborder Holaxonia
- 棘柳珊瑚科 Acanthogorgiide Gray, 1859
- family Dendrobrachiidae Brook, 1889
- family Gorgoniidae Lamouroux, 1812
- family Keroeididae Kinoshita, 1910
- family Plexauridae Gray, 1859
- suborder Protoalcyonaria
- family Taiaroidae Bayer & Muzik, 1976
- suborder Scleraxonia
- family Anthothelidae Broch, 1916
- family Briareidae Gray, 1859
- family Coralliidae Lamouroux, 1812
- family Melithaeidae Gray, 1870
- family Paragorgiidae Kükenthal, 1916
- family Parisididae Aurivillius, 1931
- family Spongiodermidae Wright & Studer, 1889
- family Subergorgiidae Gray, 1859
- family Victorgorgiidae Moore, Alderslade & Miller, 2017
- suborder Stolonifera
- family Acrossotidae Bourne, 1914
- family Arulidae McFadden & van Ofwegen, 2012
- family Clavulariidae Hickson, 1894
- family Coelogorgiidae Bourne, 1900
- family Cornulariidae Dana, 1846
- family Pseudogorgiidae Utinomi & Harada, 1973
- family Tubiporidae Ehrenberg, 1828
- family Acanthoaxiidae van Ofwegen & McFadden, 2010
- family Haimeidae Wright, 1865
- family Paramuriceidae Bayer, 1956
- family Parasphaerascleridae McFadden & van Ofwegen, 2013
- family Viguieriotidae
图库
Dendronephthya hemprichi, a Nephtheidae
Siphonogorgia godeffroyi, a Nidaliidae
Iridigorgia sp., a Chrysogorgiidae
Ellisella sp., an Ellisellidae
Isidella tentaculum, an Isididae
Muricella sp., an Acanthogorgiidae
Paramuricea clavata, a Paramuriceidae
Muricea elongata, a Plexauridae
红珊瑚, a Coralliidae