Plexauridae, Gray, 1859

Devictor, Susan T. & Morton, Steve L., 2010, Identification guide to the shallow water (0 - 200 m) octocorals of the South Atlantic Bight 2599, Zootaxa 2599 (1), pp. 1-62 : 20

Family Plexauridae

Members of the families Paramuriceidae and Muriceidae were reclassified in Bayer (1981a) to Plexauridae . Members of this family in the SAB have an unspiculated, horny axis with a wide, hollow, cross-chambered inner core. The axes of plexaurids typically have a great deal of loculation (permeation with pockets which may be filled with calcareous material) within the gorgonin layers. The calyces are often prominent and may have large sclerites in the walls. Polyps are retractile and usually have anthocodial sclerites in a collaret and points arrangement.