 black corals (antipatharia) are a group of deep water, tree-like corals related to sea anemones. they are also found in rare dark shallow water areas such as new zealand's milford sound where they can be viewed from an underwater observatory or via scuba diving. they normally occur in the tropics. there are about 230 known species of antipatharians in 42 genera.tazioli, s., bo, m., boyer, m., rotinsulu, h. & bavestrello, g., 2007. ecology of some common antipatharians from the marine park of bunaken (north sulawesi, indonesia). zoological studies, 46, 227â241 though black coral's living tissue is brilliantly colored, it takes its name from the distinctive black or dark brown color of its skeleton. also unique to black coral are the tiny spines that cover the surface of the skeleton, the origin of the nickname little thorn coral. in the hawaiian language, black coral is called âÄkaha kÅ« moana and is the official state gem of hawaii. black coral is listed in appendix ii of the convention on international trade in endangered species (cites). ==families== family antipathidae * allopathes * antipathes pallas, 1766 * aphanipathes brook, 1889 * arachnopathes * cirrhipathes de blainville, 1830 * hillopathes * pteropathes * schizopathes * stichopathes * tylopathes family aphanipathidae * acanthopathes * asteriopathes * distichopathes * elatopathes * phanopathes * pteridopathes * rhipidopathes * tetrapathes family cladopathidae * chrysopathes opresko, 2003 * cladopathes brook, 1889 * heliopathes opresko, 2003 * hexapathes kinoshita, 1910 * sibopathes van pesch, 1914 * trissopathes opresko, 2003 family leiopathidae * leiopathes haime, 1849 family myriopathidae * antipathella * apanipathes * aphanipates * cupressopathes * hydradendrium * myriopathes * plumapathes * tanacetipathes family schizopathidae * abyssopathes * bathypathes brook, 1889 * dendrobathypathes * dendropathes * lillipathes * parantipathes brook, 1889 * saropathes * stauropathes * taxipathes * umbellapathes family stylopathidae * stylopathes * triadopathes ==lifespan== in march 2009, scientists released the results of their research on deep-sea (depths of ~300 to 3,000 m) corals throughout the world. they discovered specimens of leiopathes to be among the oldest continuously living organisms on the planet: around 4,2
Hexacorallia