Anthozoa

Anthozoa is one of the three subphyla of Cnidaria, along with Medusozoa and Endocnidozoa. It includes sessile marine invertebrates and invertebrates of brackish water, such as sea anemones, stony corals, soft corals and sea pens. Almost all adult anthozoans are attached to the seabed, while their larvae exist as zooplankton. The basic unit of the adult is the polyp, an individual animal consisting of a cylindrical column topped by a disc with a central mouth surrounded by tentacles. Sea anemones are mostly solitary, but the majority of corals are colonial, being formed by the budding of new polyps from an original, founding individual. Colonies of stony corals are strengthened by mainly aragonite and other materials, and can take various massive, plate-like, bushy or leafy forms.

Anthozoa

Toby Hudson · CC BY-SA 3.0 · via Wikipedia/Commons. May be a photograph of a specimen, or an artist’s reconstruction — an interpretation of a skeleton, since colour and soft tissue are almost never preserved.

On record

Recorded, not inferred
Sits inside
CnidariaPBDB
Diet
microcarnivorePBDB
Life habit
intermediate-level epifaunalPBDB
Motility
stationary, attachedPBDB
Vision
blindPBDB

Time the record covers

At least 511 million years on record.

The record covers at least 512.1 Mya to 129 ka. No occurrence read is dated outside 516 Mya to 11.7 ka.

Cambrian — about 4 of 12000 occurrencesOrdovician — about 1220 of 12000 occurrencesOrdovicianSilurian — about 3349 of 12000 occurrencesDevonian — about 2778 of 12000 occurrencesDevonianCarboniferous — about 1516 of 12000 occurrencesCarboniferousPermian — about 140 of 12000 occurrencesPermianEarly Triassic — about 0 of 12000 occurrencesMiddle Triassic — about 26 of 12000 occurrencesLate Triassic — about 134 of 12000 occurrencesEarly Jurassic — about 167 of 12000 occurrencesMiddle Jurassic — about 81 of 12000 occurrencesLate Jurassic — about 691 of 12000 occurrencesEarly Cretaceous — about 266 of 12000 occurrencesLate Cretaceous — about 464 of 12000 occurrencesPaleocene — about 135 of 12000 occurrencesEocene — about 418 of 12000 occurrencesOligocene — about 189 of 12000 occurrencesMiocene — about 399 of 12000 occurrencesPliocene — about 9 of 12000 occurrencesPleistocene — about 15 of 12000 occurrences526–509 Mya — about 3 occurrences509–491 Mya — about 1 occurrence491–474 Mya — about 2 occurrences474–456 Mya — about 145 occurrences456–439 Mya — about 1640 occurrences439–421 Mya — about 2664 occurrences421–404 Mya — about 905 occurrences404–386 Mya — about 1268 occurrences386–368 Mya — about 679 occurrences368–351 Mya — about 257 occurrences351–333 Mya — about 1055 occurrences333–316 Mya — about 183 occurrences316–298 Mya — about 68 occurrences298–281 Mya — about 39 occurrences281–263 Mya — about 77 occurrences263–246 Mya — about 21 occurrences246–228 Mya — about 46 occurrences228–211 Mya — about 58 occurrences211–193 Mya — about 86 occurrences193–175 Mya — about 135 occurrences175–158 Mya — about 264 occurrences158–140 Mya — about 516 occurrences140–123 Mya — about 108 occurrences123–105 Mya — about 148 occurrences105–88 Mya — about 76 occurrences88–70 Mya — about 215 occurrences70–53 Mya — about 324 occurrences53–35 Mya — about 356 occurrences35–18 Mya — about 427 occurrences18–0 Mya — about 236 occurrences512.1 Mya129 ka526 Mya0 Mya

12,000+ occurrences of Anthozoa on record. The Paleobiology Database records this as a living group. Bar height is expected occurrences, not a count: each fossil is spread across the span it is dated to, so a tall narrow bar means tight dating and a low wide one means loose.

When

12,000 occurrences read

These are dates about fossils, not the animal: the record can only begin after it arose and end before it died out, so either end may reach further. Shares are expected occurrences: a fossil dated to a span is counted partly in each period it straddles. The read hit its cap, so every figure above is a floor and the shares are of the occurrences read. More on what this infers.

Found in

at least 783 formations

Ludlowville — 42.76°N, 78.65°WLudlowville — 42.78°N, 78.79°WLudlowville — 42.86°N, 77.76°WLudlowville — 42.87°N, 77.88°WLudlowville — 42.83°N, 77.81°WLudlowville — 42.88°N, 78.57°WLudlowville — 42.96°N, 78.13°WLudlowville — 42.80°N, 77.27°WLudlowville — 42.78°N, 76.99°WLudlowville — 42.84°N, 77.90°WLudlowville — 42.73°N, 76.70°WLudlowville — 42.83°N, 76.50°WLudlowville — 42.86°N, 76.35°WLudlowville — 42.93°N, 76.22°WLudlowville — 42.95°N, 76.02°WLudlowville — 42.93°N, 76.00°WLudlowville — 42.85°N, 78.37°WOnondaga — 40.60°N, 77.57°WOnondaga — 43.01°N, 78.01°WOnondaga — 42.95°N, 76.17°WOnondaga — 42.92°N, 78.25°WOnondaga — 42.78°N, 74.33°WOnondaga — 42.70°N, 74.92°WOnondaga — 42.96°N, 78.74°WOnondaga — 42.65°N, 74.08°WHigh Tor Limestone — 51.63°N, 3.97°WHigh Tor Limestone — 51.50°N, 3.00°WKorallenoolith — 52.15°N, 9.98°EKorallenoolith — 52.25°N, 9.70°EKorallenoolith — 52.25°N, 9.50°EKorallenoolith — 52.37°N, 9.70°EKorallenoolith — 52.12°N, 10.10°EKorallenoolith — 52.21°N, 9.20°EKorallenoolith — 52.21°N, 9.13°EKorallenoolith — 52.18°N, 9.60°EKorallenoolith — 52.25°N, 9.57°EKorallenoolith — 51.97°N, 9.62°ECoopers Creek Limestone — 38.15°S, 146.47°EBrassfield — 37.66°N, 84.12°WBrassfield — 38.73°N, 83.61°WBrassfield — 38.69°N, 83.46°WBrassfield — 39.81°N, 83.99°WBrassfield — 39.86°N, 84.55°WBrassfield — 38.82°N, 83.51°WBrassfield — 38.89°N, 82.45°WBrassfield — 39.48°N, 83.86°WBrassfield — 41.13°N, 84.23°WBrassfield — 39.97°N, 84.32°WBrassfield — 38.90°N, 85.19°WBrassfield — 39.03°N, 83.59°WBrassfield — 39.78°N, 84.86°WBrassfield — 38.14°N, 85.53°WBrassfield — 38.03°N, 85.53°WBrassfield — 37.80°N, 85.47°WBrassfield — 37.56°N, 85.43°WBrassfield — 37.49°N, 84.65°WBrassfield — 39.26°N, 83.75°WBrassfield — 39.05°N, 83.54°WBrassfield — 37.48°N, 84.55°WBrassfield — 37.60°N, 84.28°WBrassfield — 37.80°N, 84.09°WBrassfield — 38.10°N, 83.83°WBrassfield — 38.15°N, 83.74°WBrassfield — 38.22°N, 83.63°WBrassfield — 38.38°N, 83.64°WBrassfield — 37.71°N, 83.98°WBrassfield — 39.99°N, 84.35°WBrassfield — 39.34°N, 85.48°WBlack Rock Limestone — 51.57°N, 4.33°WBlack Rock Limestone — 51.33°N, 2.74°WJeffersonville Limestone — 38.50°N, 85.75°WScotch Grove — 42.00°N, 91.00°WScotch Grove — 40.00°N, 97.00°WScotch Grove — 41.92°N, 90.92°WScotch Grove — 41.90°N, 90.60°WScotch Grove — 42.15°N, 90.68°WScotch Grove — 42.00°N, 92.00°WScotch Grove — 41.77°N, 91.13°WScotch Grove — 42.12°N, 91.13°WScotch Grove — 42.48°N, 90.87°WScotch Grove — 41.85°N, 90.18°WScotch Grove — 42.17°N, 91.10°WScotch Grove — 42.10°N, 91.28°WTamana — 10.47°N, 61.19°WTamana — 10.39°N, 61.29°WTamana — 10.22°N, 61.37°WTamana — 10.33°N, 61.43°WTamana — 10.33°N, 62.42°WTamana — 10.42°N, 61.13°WSkaneateles — 42.97°N, 76.44°WSkaneateles — 42.98°N, 76.34°WSkaneateles — 42.94°N, 76.25°WSkaneateles — 42.92°N, 76.21°WSkaneateles — 42.86°N, 76.14°WSkaneateles — 42.93°N, 75.99°WSkaneateles — 42.86°N, 75.89°WSkaneateles — 42.95°N, 76.43°WSkaneateles — 42.90°N, 75.60°WSkaneateles — 42.85°N, 75.58°WSkaneateles — 42.88°N, 75.52°WSkaneateles — 42.85°N, 75.18°WSkaneateles — 42.83°N, 75.02°WSkaneateles — 42.81°N, 74.94°WSkaneateles — 42.96°N, 75.88°WSkaneateles — 42.87°N, 77.87°WBeaverfoot — 50.71°N, 115.38°WBeaverfoot — 50.50°N, 115.92°WBeaverfoot — 50.75°N, 115.50°WBeaverfoot — 50.03°N, 115.51°WBeaverfoot — 52.00°N, 116.75°WBeaverfoot — 50.67°N, 115.35°WBeaverfoot — 50.45°N, 115.77°WBeaverfoot — 51.17°N, 116.73°WBeaverfoot — 50.38°N, 115.80°WBeaverfoot — 50.88°N, 116.22°WBeaverfoot — 50.00°N, 116.40°WBeaverfoot — 51.20°N, 116.82°WBeaverfoot — 50.18°N, 115.36°WBeaverfoot — 50.47°N, 115.25°WBeaverfoot — 50.59°N, 115.30°WBeaverfoot — 51.68°N, 116.22°WBeaverfoot — 52.13°N, 116.98°WBeaverfoot — 49.83°N, 119.83°WMassenkalk — 48.68°N, 10.22°EGarra — 33.00°S, 149.00°EGarra — 33.95°S, 148.82°EDouro — 73.25°N, 93.50°WDouro — 72.67°N, 99.55°WDouro — 75.25°N, 95.00°WDouro — 74.42°N, 95.00°WDouro — 75.00°N, 86.00°WDouro — 74.58°N, 95.50°WNingqiang — 32.68°N, 105.93°ENingqiang — 32.68°N, 106.05°ENingqiang — 32.66°N, 105.96°ENingqiang — 32.83°N, 106.29°ENingqiang — 32.87°N, 105.97°ENingqiang — 33.05°N, 106.65°EGhasr Ghand — 26.50°N, 60.00°ERacine — 43.04°N, 87.91°WRacine — 43.05°N, 88.01°WRacine — 42.73°N, 87.78°WRacine — 42.88°N, 88.04°WRacine — 43.01°N, 88.38°WRacine — 42.00°N, 88.00°WRacine — 41.85°N, 87.65°WCedar Lake Dolomite — 53.18°N, 99.27°WCedar Lake Dolomite — 51.58°N, 98.83°WCedar Lake Dolomite — 53.14°N, 99.45°WCedar Lake Dolomite — 53.70°N, 100.30°WCedar Lake Dolomite — 53.25°N, 99.50°WCedar Lake Dolomite — 51.75°N, 98.58°WCedar Lake Dolomite — 53.24°N, 99.52°WCedar Lake Dolomite — 53.25°N, 100.00°WCedar Lake Dolomite — 53.30°N, 100.27°WCedar Lake Dolomite — 50.70°N, 98.03°WCedar Lake Dolomite — 51.08°N, 97.62°WCedar Lake Dolomite — 51.00°N, 98.83°WCedar Lake Dolomite — 51.60°N, 98.70°WEdwardsville — 39.50°N, 86.50°WEdwardsville — 39.75°N, 86.67°WEdwardsville — 39.25°N, 86.33°WEdwardsville — 39.00°N, 86.25°WEdwardsville — 39.04°N, 86.50°WLouisville Limestone — 40.55°N, 84.57°WLouisville Limestone — 38.26°N, 85.63°WMoodys Branch — 32.95°N, 90.17°WMoodys Branch — 32.23°N, 92.15°WMoodys Branch — 32.01°N, 92.00°WMoodys Branch — 32.33°N, 90.15°WMoodys Branch — 31.88°N, 88.69°WMoodys Branch — 31.88°N, 88.32°WMoodys Branch — 31.77°N, 88.33°WMoodys Branch — 31.31°N, 86.48°WMoodys Branch — 31.03°N, 85.85°WMoodys Branch — 31.55°N, 87.58°WMoodys Branch — 31.14°N, 87.94°WChasm Creek — 58.17°N, 94.67°WChasm Creek — 58.13°N, 94.77°WChasm Creek — 58.25°N, 94.57°WChasm Creek — 56.63°N, 93.63°WChasm Creek — 56.75°N, 93.60°WChasm Creek — 58.17°N, 94.08°WBlack Rock — 51.33°N, 2.74°W

Loading coastlines…

The named rock units Anthozoa has been recovered from, largest first. Drawn where the rock is now, not where it formed. The read hit its cap, so each count is a floor. 759 further formations hold fewer occurrences each and are not listed. 2,313 occurrences have no formation on record, which is common for older literature.

Found in the same rock

1,750 taxa

The Paleobiology Database records at least 845 sites for Anthozoa, and this reads 240 of them. The number is how many of those sites it was catalogued from too. The 24 sharing the most are listed.

This is not a list of everything alive at the time. It is only what has come out of the same ground as this animal and been written down.

Entered from

at least 581 references

Each of the 12,000 occurrences read was entered from one of these publications, ordered by how many each accounts for. This is not a search for papers mentioning the name. That read hit its cap, so each count is a floor. 569 further references are not listed. Entries link to doi.org where the Paleobiology Database holds an identifier, and to its own record where it does not. Relayed as the Paleobiology Database holds them, not checked against what they resolve to.

Media and terms

Media content2

Picture of Anthozoa

Credit
Toby Hudson
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0
Commercial use
the licence allows it

3D model

Source
Sketchfab
Licence
CC0 Public Domain
Commercial use
the licence allows it

The description on this site

Licence
CC BY-SA 4.0

This is what the site found, which is not the same as what exists.

Keep going

What may have been alongside itCnidaria through timeThe world it lived on

Occurrence data from the Paleobiology Database, CC BY 4.0. Ehrenberg 1834