Historically, Actinozoa was divided into two main groups based on their symmetry and tentacle count:
(now more commonly known as the class Anthozoa ) is a major group of marine invertebrates within the phylum Cnidaria . This class includes well-known sea creatures like sea anemones, stony corals, soft corals, and sea fans. Key Characteristics
: Includes soft corals, sea pens, and sea fans. They strictly possess eight branched (pinnate) tentacles and eight mesenteries. Ecological Importance
: Includes sea anemones and stony corals. They typically have tentacles and mesenteries in multiples of six.
: They use tentacles armed with specialized stinging cells called nematocysts to capture prey, ranging from plankton to small fish.
