Cladiellidae McFadden, van Ofwegen & Quattrini, 2022

Lazar, Einav, Mcfadden, Catherine S., Huchon, Dorothée & Benayahu, Yehuda, 2025, Redescription of type material of the genus Cladiella Gray, 1869 (Octocorallia, Malacalcyonacea, Cladiellidae) from the Red Sea, Zootaxa 5674 (1), pp. 1-84 : 8

Family Cladiellidae McFadden, van Ofwegen & Quattrini, 2022

Genus Cladiella Gray, 1869

Diagnosis (amended).Colonies lobed, comprising either simple rounded knobs or divided ones, occasionally digitate, but rarely branched. Polyps monomorphic, retractile or non-retractile but highly contractile, evenly distributed over lobe surface. Polyp sclerites usually abundant, in shape of platelets, seldomly rods. Platelets with lateral waist or slits and occasionally with two surface pits, resembling figure-eight image. Surface of polyp sclerites frequently tuberculate and occasionally featuring fine cristate-like structure. Circumference of platelets occasionally elevated, forming rim around a median depression. Surface of lobes and colony base commonly include poorly developed dumbbells ornamented with rounded tubercles, blunt-ended or pointed conical ones at their two ends. Dumbbells, from interior of lobes and base, distinctly feature at either end pointed conical and/or blunt-ended conical tubercles separated by median waist. Z ooxanthellate octocorals.