Epizoanthus Gray, 1867

Low, Martyn E. Y., Sinniger, Frederic & Reimer, James Davis, 2016, The order Zoantharia Rafinesque, 1815 (Cnidaria, Anthozoa: Hexacorallia): supraspecific classification and nomenclature, ZooKeys 641, pp. 1-80 : 8-9

Epizoanthus Gray, 1867

Sidisia Gray, 1858: 489 [suppressed in Opinion 1689, ICZN 1992].

Epizoanthus Gray, 1867: 237 [conserved in Opinion 1689, ICZN 1992].

Carolia Gray, 1867: 239 [invalid name, junior homonym].

Polythoa (Endeithoa) Andres, 1883a: 521, 531.

Verrillia Andres, 1883a: 520, 545.

Zoanthus (Corticanthus) Andres, 1883a: 538, 541.

Mardoell Danielssen, 1890: 117-126.

Marodellia Blanchard, 1893: 130 [unjustified emendation]

Mardoella Bell, 1906: 762 [incorrect spelling].

Lirrevia Delphy, 1939: 270.

Type species.

Dysidea papillosa Johnston, 1842, by monotypy (see also Opinion 1689, ICZN 1992).

Gender.

Masculine.

Diagnosis.

As for family but readily distinguishable from Palaeozoanthus by the presence of non-fertile micromesenteries ( Sinniger and Häussermann 2009: 26).

Remarks.

Most species with reticulate mesogleal muscle, Epizoanthus illoricatus Tischbierek, 1930 with simplified mesogleal sphincter muscle ( Swain et al. 2015).

As discussed in Sinniger and Häussermann (2009: 26), this genus is characterised by the "[p]olyps usually strongly encrusted with sand particles. Species found on rocky substrata or gastropod shells often inhabited by pagurids; some cases of free-living species reported ( Epizoanthus lindhali , Epizoanthus vagus ). In colonial species, polyps linked by stolons or, in pagurid-associated species, by a continuous coenenchyme. No symbioses with Symbiodinium zooxanthellae".