Pteronisis is a genus of coral in the family Mopseidae.[1] The name derives from Greek pteron, meaning "feather", in allusion to the pinnate branching.[2]

Pteronisis
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Cnidaria
Class: Octocorallia
Order: Scleralcyonacea
Family: Mopseidae
Genus: Pteronisis
Alderslade, 1998
Species

Description

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Most specimens are smaller than 20 cm, but can reach up to at least 36 cm.[2] The genus is mostly planar, pinnate, and profusely branched, with at least one exception.[2] Axial internodes are generally colorless, greyish white, or sometimes pale shades of pink or red.[2] Axial nodes are generally light to dark brown near the base of the plant, yellowish to yellowish brown in the principal branches, and pale yellow, white, or colorless, with a darker central band, in the pinnae.[2]

References

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  1. ^ "WoRMS - World Register of Marine Species - Pteronisis". Retrieved 14 July 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d e Alderslade, P. (1998). Revisionary systematics in the gorgonian family Isididae, with descriptions of numerous new taxa (Coelenterata: Octocorallia). Records of the Western Australian Museum. Supplement No. 55: 1-360.