Cladarisis, Watling, Les, 2015

Watling, Les, 2015, A new genus of bamboo coral (Octocorallia: Isididae) from the Bahamas, Zootaxa 3918 (2), pp. 239-249 : 240

Cladarisis new genus

Diagnosis. Axis very thin, brittle, solid except at distal ends of branches. Colony sparsely branched, branches originate laterally at the nodes. Nodes flexible. Coenenchyme very thin, without sclerites except at base of polyps. Polyp sclerites predominantly large rods seemingly on the outside of the body, arranged at various angles, with no tendency to form longitudinal groups. Pharyngeal sclerites elongate toothed rods and wider and thicker multitoothed short rods. When contracted, tentacles are pulled into a deep funnel-shaped structure formed by the peristome and pharynx.

Type species. Cladarisis nouvianae , by monotypy.

Etymology. From kladaros, Gr. = easily broken, frail, referring to the brittleness of the axis, causing it to break with the slightest amount of handling, in combination with the stem name of the bamboo corals. Gender feminine.

Remarks. See below