Schizopathidae Brook, 1889

Opresko, Dennis M., Stewart, Rob, Voza, Tatiana, Tracey, Di & Brugler, Mercer R., 2022, New genus and species of black coral from the SW Pacific and Antarctica (Cnidaria: Anthozoa: Antipatharia: Schizopathidae), Zootaxa 5169 (1), pp. 31-48 : 34

Family Schizopathidae Brook, 1889

Diagnosis. Polyps with ten internal mesenteries (six primary and four secondary) and a transverse polyp diameter of about 2 mm or more. Colonies usually pinnulate to some degree (see Opresko, 2002 for further discussion). Genera distinguished by characteristic patterns of pinnulation and subpinnulation, i.e., number of rows of primary or secondary pinnules, and/or number of orders of subpinnules, and/or restriction of subpinnules to only certain lower order pinnules.

Genera in the family Schizopathidae . Currently there are fourteen genera in the family: Schizopathes (monopodial, with two bilateral rows of alternating pinnules, and a hooked based for anchoring the corallum in soft sediments); Bathypathes (usually monopodial, with two rows of subopposite or alternating simple pinnules); Stauropathes (branched, with two rows of subopposite simple pinnules); Telopathes (older colonies branched, with two rows of subopposite or alternating simple pinnules); Alternatipathes (monopodial or branched, with two rows of alternating pinnules); Dendrobathypathes (branched, with two rows of alternating pinnules, some of which have subpinnules); Dendropathes (branched, with four rows of simple pinnules); Saropathes (usually monopodial, with four rows of simple pinnules in alternating pairs, and simple secondary pinnules on some of the primary pinnules); Lillipathes (usually branched, with four rows of simple pinnules which are also in alternating pairs); Parantipathes (monopodial or branched, with six or more rows of simple pinnules arranged in alternating semispiral groups); Taxipathes (branched, with four to eight rows of simple pinnules arranged in alternating semispiral groups); Umbellapathes (colonies usually with a long stalk topped with pinnules arranged alternately and with or without subpinnules); Abyssopathes (monopodial, with two rows of simple pinnules arranged bilaterally and alternately and one or two rows of anterior pinnules that may be simple or subpinnulated); and Diplopathes gen. nov. (branched, with two rows of simple, bilateral and alternating pinnules).