• Embranchement: Cnidarians
• Classe:
• Nom commun: Anthozoans
• Nom scientifique: Anthozoa

Anthozoans refer to the class of cnidarians, which notably includes sea anemones, corals and gorgonians.

The name anthozoans comes from anthos, meaning flower and zoon, meaning animal.

Anthozoans are animals that appear in the form of a polyp, which is a sac-shaped body whose inner cavity functions as a stomach. This cavity has a single opening to the outside that serves as both mouth and anus. Around this opening, a series of tentacles covered with stinging cells, called cnidoblasts, are present.

The number of tentacles allows the class Anthozoa to be divided into two main subclasses:

• members of Octocorallia, which exhibit eight-fold radial symmetry
• and members of Hexacorallia, also sometimes called Zoantharia, which exhibit six-fold radial symmetry

Anthozoans are found throughout the world's oceans, from warm tropical waters to temperate regions and even near polar areas. Corals are mainly concentrated in tropical and subtropical zones, where they form abundant and colorful reefs, while sea anemones occur in more varied habitats, ranging from shallow rocky coasts to deeper seabeds.

Anthozoans can live solitary, like sea anemones, or in organized colonies, like corals. They are benthic animals, attached to the seabed or other surfaces.

Anthozoans, whether corals or sea anemones, feed mainly by filtering small marine organisms from seawater, such as plankton, crustacean larvae, or tiny fish. Their tentacles, equipped with stinging cnidocytes, allow them to capture and immobilize prey before directing it to the central mouth.

Additionally, many corals live in symbiosis with photosynthetic algae called zooxanthellae, which provide a significant portion of their energy through photosynthesis. This dual feeding strategy, active capture and symbiosis, contributes to their rapid growth and the formation of reefs rich in biodiversity.