Zhongguo Dongwu Zhi Coelenterata

Author: Editor-in-Chief of the Editorial Committee of the Illustrated Handbook of the Animals of China, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 1998-10-01
Features: This volume describes 16 families, 42 genera, and 109 species of sea anemones belonging to the order Actiniaria, order Ceriantharia, and order Zoanthidea within the Hexacorallia subclass of the phylum Cnidaria, found in various marine regions and coastal areas of China. The content is divided into two parts: General Introduction and Specific Accounts. The General Introduction includes nine sections: brief history of research, morphological overview, physiological characteristics, reproduction and development, ecology, species distribution in Chinese marine regions, classification system, phylogeny, and economic value. The Specific Accounts describe the external morphology, internal structure, other biological characteristics, geographical distribution, and taxonomic status of each order, family, genus, and species, with special discussions on some difficult-to-classify species. A corresponding taxonomic key is provided before the description of each species. All newly established species are compared with similar existing species. The book includes 149 illustrations, 23 tables, 2 color plates, and 20 plates. The content of this volume not only provides important basic data for comparative morphology, comparative embryology, systematic classification of invertebrates, and benthic biology but is also an indispensable reference for research in marine ecology, paleontology, paleoecology, and marine pharmacology.