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Traits taxon detailsAlcyonium Linnaeus, 1758
125284 (urn:lsid:marinespecies.org:taxname:125284)
accepted
Genus
Alcyonium digitatum Linnaeus, 1758 (type by subsequent designation)
Halcyonium · alternative representation
Parerythropodium Kükenthal, 1916 · unaccepted > junior subjective synonym
marine,
recent only
Linnaeus, C. (1758). Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Tomus I. Editio decima, reformata. Laurentii Salvii. Holmiae [Stockholm]. [iii] + 824 pp. , available online at https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/726886
page(s): 803 [details] Available for editors 
Traits (2025). Alcyonium Linnaeus, 1758. Accessed at: https://www.marinespecies.org/traits/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=125284 on 2026-08-31
Marine Species Traits editorial board (2026). Marine Species Traits. Alcyonium Linnaeus, 1758. Accessed at: https://www.marinespecies.org/traits/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=125284 on 2026-08-31
Date action by
original description
Linnaeus, C. (1758). Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Tomus I. Editio decima, reformata. Laurentii Salvii. Holmiae [Stockholm]. [iii] + 824 pp. , available online at https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/726886
page(s): 803 [details] Available for editors original description (of Parerythropodium Kükenthal, 1916) Kükenthal, W. (1916). Die Gorgonarien Westindiens. Kap. 1, Die Scleraxonier; Kap. 2, Über den Venusfächer; Kap. 3, Die Gattung Xiphigorgia. <em>Zoologische Jahrbucher.</em> Suppl. 11: 443-504, plate 23., available online at https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/14178786 page(s): 461-464 [details] taxonomy source Hartmeyer, R. (1916). Zur Deutung einiger Alcyonium-Arten. <em>Sitzungsberichte der Gesellsch. naturf. Freunde, Berlin.</em> 8: 245-259. [details]  taxonomy source Lüttschwager, H. (1915). Beitrage zu einer Revision der Familie Alcyoniidae. <em>Archiv für Naturgeschichte, Abteilung A.</em> 80(10): 1-42., available online at https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/12955834 page(s): 16-27 [details] basis of record van Ofwegen, L.; Grasshoff, M.; van der Land, J. (2001). Octocorallia (excl. Pennatulacea), <B><I>in</I></B>: Costello, M.J. <i>et al.</i> (Ed.) (2001). <i>European register of marine species: a check-list of the marine species in Europe and a bibliography of guides to their identification. Collection Patrimoines Naturels,</i> 50: pp. 104-105 (look up in IMIS) [details] additional source Bastidas, C.; Fabricius, K.; Willis, B. L. (2004). Demographic aspects of the soft coral Sinularia flexibilis leading to local dominance on coral reefs. Hydrobiologia, 530/531, 433-441, available online at https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-004-2663-7 page(s): 440 [details] additional source Bayer, F.M. & K.M. Muzik. (1976). A new solitary octocoral, Taiaroa tauhou gen. et sp. nov. (Coelenterata: Protoalcyonaria) from New Zealand. <em>Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand.</em> 6(4): 499-515., available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/03036758.1976.10421488 page(s): 512 [details] Available for editors additional source Bayer, F.M. (1961). The shallow-water Octocorallia of the West Indian region. A manual for marine biologists. <em>Studies on the Fauna of Curacao and Other Caribbean Islands.</em> 12:1-373, pls. 1-23., available online at https://repository.naturalis.nl/pub/506065 page(s): 51 [details] Available for editors additional source Benayahu, Y.; Yosief, T.; Schleyer, M. H. (2002). Soft corals (Octocorallia, Alcyonacea) of the southern Red Sea. Israel Journal of Zoology, 48, 273-283, available online at https://doi.org/10.1560/hyc7-tuth-ev77-beuq page(s): 277 [details] additional source Fabricius, K.; Alderslade, P. (2001). Soft Corals and Sea Fans: A Comprehensive Guide to the Shallow-water Genera of the Central-West Pacific, the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea. <em>Australian Institute of Marine Science. Townsville.</em> pp. 264. page(s): 8, 86 [details] additional source Grasshoff, M.; Alderslade, P. (1997). Gorgoniidae of Indo-Pacific reefs with descriptions of two new genera (Coelenterata: Octocorallia). <em>Senckenbergiana Biologica.</em> 77: 23–25. page(s): 24 [details] additional source Hwang, S. J.; Song, J. I. (2007). Reproductive biology and larval development of the temperate soft coral Dendronephthya gigantea (Alcyonacea: Nephtheidae). Marine Biology, 152, 273-284, available online at https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-007-0679-z page(s): 273, 274 [details] additional source McFadden, C. S. (1991). A comparative demographic analysis of clonal reproduction in a temperate soft coral. Ecology, 72(5): 1849-1866, available online at https://doi.org/10.2307/1940983 page(s): 1850, 1851, 1852, 1853, 1854, 1855, 1856, 1857, 1858, 1859, 1860, 1861, 1862, 1963, 1864 [details] additional source McFadden, C. S.; Aydin, K. Y. (1996). Spatial autocorrelation analysis of small-scale genetic structure in a clonal soft coral with limited larval dispersal. Marine Biology, 126, 215-224, available online at https://doi.org/10.1007/bf00347446 page(s): 215, 216, 217, 218, 219, 220, 221, 222 [details] additional source McFadden, C. S.; Donahue, R.; Hadland, B. K.; Weston, R. (2001). A molecular phylogenetic analysis of reproductive trait evolution in the soft coral genus Alcyonium. Evolution, 55(1): 54-67, available online at https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0014-3820.2001.tb01272.x page(s): 54, 56-64 [details] additional source McFadden, C. S.; Hochberg, F. (2003). Biology and taxonomy of encrusting alcyoniid soft corals in the northeastern Pacific Ocean with descriptions of two new genera (Cnidaria, Anthozoa, Octocorallia). <em>Invertebrate Biology.</em> 122(2): 93-113., available online at https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-7410.2003.tb00076.x page(s): 109, 111 [details] Available for editors additional source McFadden, C. S.; Hutchinson, M. B. (2004). Molecular evidence for the hybrid origin of species in the soft coral genus Alcyonium (Cnidaria: Anthozoa: Octocorallia). Molecular Ecology, 13, 1495-1505, available online at https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-294x.2004.02167.x page(s): 1495, 1496, 1497, 1498, 1499, 1500, 1501, 1502, 1503 [details] additional source McFadden, C.S.; van Ofwegen, L.P. (2013). Molecular phylogenetic evidence supports a new family of octocorals and a new genus of Alcyoniidae (Octocorallia, Alcyonacea). <em>Zookeys.</em> 346: 59-83., available online at https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.346.6270 [details] additional source McFadden, C.S.; van Ofwegen, L.P. (2017). Revisionary systematics of the endemic soft coral fauna (Octocorallia: Alcyonacea: Alcyoniina) of the Agulhas Bioregion, South Africa. <em>Zootaxa.</em> 4363(4): 451-488., available online at https://www.biotaxa.org/Zootaxa/article/view/zootaxa.4363.4.1 page(s): 460 [details] Available for editors additional source McMurrich, J. P. (1893). Report on the Actiniæ collected by the United States Fish Commission Steamer Albatross during the winter of 1887-1888. Proceedings of the United States National Museum, 16(930): 119-216, available online at https://doi.org/10.5479/si.00963801.16-930.119 page(s): 120 [details] additional source Megina, C.; Conradi, M.; Piraino, S. (2003). Biodiversity, life cycles, and reproductive biology of deep-sea cnidarians. Berichte zur Polarforschung, 470, 108-112 page(s): 110 [details] additional source Reinicke, G. B.; van Ofwegen, L. P. (1999). Soft corals (Alcyonacea: Octocorallia) from shallow water in the Chagos Archipelago: species assemblages and their distribution. Linnean Society Occasional Publications, 2, 67-85, plates 1-10 page(s): 70 [details] additional source Tixier-Durivault, A. (1951). Revision de la famille des Alcyoniidae. Le genre Sinularia May, 1898. <em>Institut Royal des Sciences Naturelles de Belgique, Memoires.</em> 2(40): 1-146. page(s): 6, 7, 9, 12 [details] additional source Tixier-Durivault, A. (1958). Revision de la famille des Alcyoniidae: les genres Sarcophytum et Lobophytum. <em>Zoologische Verhandelingen Leiden.</em> 36: 1-179. page(s): 3, 4 [details] additional source van Ofwegen, L.P.; Häussermann, V.; Försterra, G. (2006). A new genus of soft coral (Octocorallia: Alcyonacea: Clavulariidae) from Chile. <em>Zootaxa.</em> 1219, 47-57., available online at https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.1219.1.2 page(s): 47 [details] additional source Verseveldt, J. (1971). Octocorallia from North-Western Madagascar (Part II). <em>Zoologische Verhandelingen.</em> 1-73, plates 1-15. [details] Available for editors additional source Verseveldt, J. (1982). A revision of the genus Sarcophyton Lesson (Octocorallia, Alcyonacea). <em>Zoologische Verhandelingen Leiden.</em> 192: 1-91, plates 1-24., available online at https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004743021 page(s): 5 [details] additional source Verseveldt, J.; Bayer, F. M. (1988). Revision of the genera Bellonella, Eleutherobia, Nidalia and Nidaliopsis (Octocorallia, Alcyoniidae and Nidalliidae), with descriptions of two new genera. <em>Zoologische Verhandelingen.</em> 245:1-131., available online at http://repository.naturalis.nl/document/149141 page(s): 3, 8, 10, 11 [details] Available for editors additional source Williams, G. C. (1989). A provisional annotated list of octocorallian coelenterates occurring on the sublittoral coral reefs at Sodwana Bay and Kosi Bay, northern Natal, with a key to the genera. South African Journal of Science, 85, 141-144 page(s): 142 [details] additional source Williams, G. C. (1989). A review of recent research on the sublittoral coral reefs of northern Natal with a provisional assessment of findings regarding the distribution of octocorals on Two-Mile Reef, Sodwana Bay. South African Journal of Science, 85, 140-141 page(s): 140, 141 [details] additional source Williams, G. C. (1997). Preliminary assessment of the phylogeny of Pennatulacea (Anthozoa: Octocorallia), with a reevaluation of Ediacaran frond-like fossils, and a synopsis of the history of evolutionary thought regarding the sea pens. Proceedings of the Sixth International Conference on Coelenterate Biology, 497-509 page(s): 504 [details] additional source Williams, G.C. (1986). A new species of the octocorallian genus Alcyonium (Anthozoa: Alcyonacea) from southern Africa, with a revised diagnosis of the genus. <em>Journal of Natural History.</em> 20: 53-63., available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/00222938600770051 page(s): 61; note: Emendation (re-diagnosis of genus) [details] additional source Williams, G.C. (1992). The Alcyonacea of southern Africa. Stoloniferous octocorals and soft corals (Coelenterata, Anthozoa). <em>Annals of the South African Museum.</em> 100: 249-358., available online at https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/41110040 page(s): 271 [details] additional source Williams, G.C. (2000). Two new genera of soft corals (Anthozoa: Alcyoniidae) from South Africa, with a discussion of diversity and endemism in the Southern African octocorallian fauna. <em>Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences.</em> 52(6): 65-75. page(s): 71 [details]  Present Inaccurate Introduced: alien Containing type locality
Published in AlgaeBase
 To Biological Information System for Marine Life (BISMaL) To European Nucleotide Archive, ENA (Alcyonium) To ITIS From editor or global species database
Image from typetaxon 
Image from typetaxon 
Image from typetaxon   
Image from typetaxon 
Image from typetaxon Unreviewed
Image from typetaxon |
