Diagram courtesy of British Marine Life Study Society


Brain coral image courtesy of UCMP Berkeley

Class Anthozoa includes Cnidarians with a variety of distinct features. Most importantly, they occur only in the polyp form. Prominent polyps in the class Anthozoa include the sea anemones and the coral animals that live in limestone shells. The Anthozoa may lead either a solitary or a colonial existence.

Class Anthozoa is divided into two subclasses: Hexacorallia and Octocorallia. Hexacorallia include animals such as sea anemones and stony coral, whereas Octocorallia includes soft corals, sea fans, etc.

Information provided by: http://www.sidwell.edu