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Glite Dictionary
Gorgonacea

Gorgonacea

9.9
A group of soft corals like sea fans and red corals that live in warm oceans
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : Gorgonacea
  • The pink and bamboo corals, Corallium spp. and Lepidisis olapa, are in the Order Gorgonacea.

Examples

  • Those are members of the taxonomic order Scleractinia, whereas red coral belongs to the related order Gorgonacea, the soft corals.

    Academic text (2009)

  • The order Gorgonacea includes colonial soft corals that play a vital role in marine ecosystems.

  • Red coral is a beautiful example of a species in the order Gorgonacea, known for its intricate structures.

  • Many species of sea fans are classified within the order Gorgonacea and thrive in warm ocean waters.

Synonyms

gorgonian
vsGorgonacea
  • Specialized
1 9.9

A coral with a branching hard skeleton that lives in warm seas

covers the broader order including these branching coral types
Gorgoniacea
vsGorgonacea
  • Archaic
9.9

An old name for a group of sea animals like sea fans and red corals

is the currently accepted order name in modern classification
Alcyonacea
vsGorgonacea
  • Specialized
9.9

A group of soft corals with flexible, fleshy bodies that do not build hard skeletons and live in warm seas

includes colonial forms like sea fans and red corals that have branching skeletons
Alcyonaria
vsGorgonacea
  • Archaic
9.9

A group of soft sea animals like corals that have tentacles with eight branches

is the modern classification name used for these related corals
gorgonian coral
vsGorgonacea
  • Specialized
9.8

A sea animal with hard tree-like branches that lives in warm water

groups many colonial soft corals rather than one specific branching form

Compounds

suborder Gorgonacea
  • Specialized
9.9

Group of soft corals in the sea like red corals and sea fans that grow in tree-like branches

Surface Forms

Gorgonacea singular
Gorgonaceas plural

Etymology

Gorgonacea comes from the Greek name Gorgon, the mythical woman 'with snakes for hair', plus the group-ending -acea. These soft corals often form fan-like or branching shapes that look like tangled hair, so the name helps you picture this group of sea fans and red corals today.