Zoanthus sociatus
Green sea mat: a resilient, mat-forming zoanthid of Caribbean reefs.
Last updated
Zoanthus sociatus, commonly known as the green sea mat or button polyp, is a zoanthid usually found in shallow reef zones of tropical regions from Caribbean to southeastern Brazil.
Scientific classification
- KingdomAnimalia
- PhylumCnidaria
- SubphylumAnthozoa
- ClassHexacorallia
- OrderZoantharia
- FamilyZoanthidae
- GenusZoanthus
- SpeciesZoanthus sociatus
Named by (Ellis & Solander, 1786)
Sources: Wikipedia taxobox: Zoanthus sociatus (CC BY-SA 4.0) · order, family and genus agree with WoRMS AphiaID 288843 (CC BY 4.0)
Where the zoanthus sociatus has been recorded
Each dot is a place where the species has been observed and reported (3,950 records, half-degree grid) — not a modelled range. 14 inland records left out (institution coordinates). 1 isolated far-off record not drawn.
Map: drawn by Codexery. Data: GBIF occurrence search (records CC0 / CC BY) · Natural Earth basemap (public domain)
Quick Facts
- Common name
- green sea mat, button polyp
- Distribution
- Caribbean to southeastern Brazil
Facts from the source article.
Background
Z. sociatus has nematocysts, making it a cnidarian. It has polyp morphology, so it is an anthozoan. Its tentacles are in multiples of 6, placing it in the subclass Hexacorallia.
It belongs to the order Zoanthidea due to its lack of a calcium carbonate skeleton. It forms elaborate piecemeal mats of normally green to turquoise polyps, often on reef flats exposed to high light intensity and intermittently strong currents. Stolon-connected polyps normally have 30 short tentacles, are extended continuously day and night, and feed predominantly on detritus, not zooplankton.
It can be found in the lower intertidal and upper subtidal zones on protected Caribbean reefs. It is sessile, colonial, grows in the reef understory and on disturbed substrate, and can survive desiccation and lower levels of salinity. It appears to dominate other zoanthids.
Did You Know?
- Z. sociatus is currently being studied for its use against human lymphatic parasites.
- It produces more energy photosynthetically due to its lack of a calcified skeleton, which allows more light to reach the chloroplasts.
- Zoanthids are less efficient heterotrophs but benefit from their photosynthetic symbionts.
More in Soft Corals & Zoanthids
Elsewhere in Reef Aquarium Species
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Zoanthus sociatus (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Classification: the source article's taxobox; order, family and genus checked against WoRMS, the World Register of Marine Species (CC BY 4.0).
- Occurrence records: GBIF (CC0 / CC BY). Basemap: Natural Earth (public domain).
- Word definitions: the , each quoted from its Wikipedia article.
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