Alcyonacea

Alcyonacea (synonyms: Alcyonaria, Alcyonarida), in English soft corals or alcyonacians, is a former order (or suborder) of Octocorallia. Since a 2022 revision of Octocorallia, the content of Alcyonacea has been included in the order Malacalcyonacea and, to a lesser extent, in the order Scleralcyonacea, these two new orders now making up the order Octocorallia.

REDIRECT Octocorallia

Stolonifera is a suborder of soft corals in the order Alcyonacea. Members of this taxon are characterised by having separate polyps budding off an encrusting horizontal, branching stolon. The skeletons include spicules or consists of a horny external cuticle. These soft corals are found in shallow tropical and temperate seas.

Scleraxonia is a suborder of corals, a member of the phylum Cnidaria.

thumb|right|Paramuricea sp. thumb|right|Eunicea sp.

Calcaxonia (1981 - 1999 known only under the informal name restricted Holaxonia) was, in some systems, an Octocorallian suborder of the order Gorgonacea, or alternatively of the broadly conceived order Alcyonacea. Before its formal erection in 1999, it was usually included inside the suborder Holaxonia.

Scleralcyonacea is an order of the class Octocorallia.

Haimeidae is a family of cnidarians belonging to the order Alcyonacea.