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Gorgonacea

A Dictionary of Zoology | 1999 | 391 words | Copyright

Gorgonacea (sea fans, horny corals; class Anthozoa, subclass Octocorallia) An order of colonial octocorals that are anchored by a holdfast and have a tree-like shape supported by a branching, central skeleton of horn-like, organic material (gorgonin) or calcareous material, or both. They appeared first in the Cretaceous. The order contains two suborders, 18 families, and about 120 genera.

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MICHAEL ALLABY. "Gorgonacea." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. 30 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

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