The New Octocorallia: A Brief Review of Taxonomic Chaos

[Reef Builders]

Soft Corals, Gorgonians, and Sea Pens comprise the Octocorallia, a major branch in the coral tree of life whose 3000+ species come in nearly every shape imaginable. Not surprisingly, this biodiversity has confounded taxonomists for centuries, resulting in no shortage of competing evolutionary theories. To fully appreciate the confusion surrounding this group, it helps for…
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