| Stylasteridae | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Stylaster nobilis | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Cnidaria |
| Class: | Hydrozoa |
| Order: | Anthoathecata |
| Suborder: | Filifera |
| Family: | Stylasteridae Gray, 1847 [1] |
| Genera | |
See text | |
| Synonyms [1] | |
| |
Stylasteridae, also known as lace corals, is a family of colonial hydrozoans with a calcified skeleton. [1] [2] They first appeared 65 million years ago in deep waters. [3] About 10% of the species have adapted to live in water less than 50 metres (164 feet) deep. [4] The rest are found in deeper water, most commonly between 200 and 400 metres (656 and 1,312 feet), with the deepest known species observed at a depth of 2,789 metres (9,150 feet). [3]
In shallow reefs the Stylasteridae can grow up to 25 centimetres (9.8 in) tall and 30 centimetres (12 in) wide, [5] but some species in deeper waters can reach 1 metre (3 ft 3 in). [3] [ clarification needed ]
