Zoanthids: Not a soft coral.

I had no idea.

Aquarium Invertebrates: Zoanthids: Polyps As Cute As A Button — Advanced Aquarist's Online Magazine

 

Technically, only octocorals are soft corals.

 

Wow, now I'm even more confused. Thanks Inwall

 

If the polyp has 8 tentacles, then it's an octocoral (soft coral).

There are some corals that are hard that are octocorals (Blue Ridge Coral, Pipe Organ, Gorgonians, etc)

There are a LOT of corals that people consider soft corals that are not (zoanthids, mushrooms, etc).

However, all of the above are just going by the technical definition. The term "soft coral" as used by hobbyists would include them anyway.

 

I knew that was the case as far as how 'we' the hobbyist refer to corals. But I was just surprised that a zoanthid fell into a genus of it's own, almost more closely related to an anemone/invert than a coral.

 

zoas and other polyps are closer related to anemones than soft coral, technically like stated previously octocorals are soft corals like kenya trees and so on.

 

Thats surprising