Reef Acronyms

Common Reef Aquarium Hobby Acronyms

This is not meant to be a web-terminology acronym reference guide.
If you want to know what terms like IIRC, FWIW, IMO, etc. are, try this link.

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Here’s a guide to help you figure out just what marine and other aquarists are talking about!

 

shortcut: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

 

ACRONYM	STANDS FOR	WHAT IT IS
A Amp	Ampere	Measure of the amount of electric charge passing a point per unit time. Around 6.241 ? 1018 electrons passing a given point each second constitutes one ampere.[
AA	Amino Acid	Building block units of proteins
AC	Activated Carbon	Adsorbent filtration media used to remove trace organic compounds from water
AC	Alternating Current	An electric current that reverses direction in a circuit at regular intervals.
AC II	AquaController II	A all in one monitor and controller to control and monitor pH, ORP, and temperature
Acan(s)	Acanthastrea	A fairly large genus in the family Mussidae, consisting of twelve species
Acan Lord	Acanthastrea species	Acanthastrea lordhowensis
Acro	Acropora	A genus of scleractinian coral in the Phylum Cnidaria, common names include table coral, elkhorn coral, or staghorn coral
AEFW	Acropora Eating Flat Worms	A parasite of some species of Acropora corals
AFI	Aquarium Fish International	Magazine
AFM	Aquarium Fish Monthly	Magazine
AGA	All Glass Aquarium	Type of aquarium or manufacturer
AGE	Acrylic and Glass Exhibits	Reference to types of materials used in construction aquaria tanks and exhibits
ALK, Alk	Alkalinity	Is the sum of titratable carbonate and noncarbonate chemical species in a filtered water sample
AM3K	Ampmaster 3000	Water pump model made by Dolphin Aquarium & Pet Products, Inc.
ARS	Aquatic Reef Systems	RO/DI manufacturer,
ASW	Artificial Sea Water	Salt water mixed from components
ATC	Automatic Temperature Control	Device that allows you to choose selectable heating and cooling modes.
ATO	Automatic Top Off	System to automatically replace water in your aquarium lost to evaporation
ATS	Automatic Turf Scrubber	Method of filtration
ATZ	Association of Zoos & Aquariums	Nonprofit organization that accredits zoos and aquariums
BB	Bare Bottom	Aquarium set up without sand
Blasto	Blastomussa	Genus of coral, members are wellsi and merleti
BLH	Blue Leg Hermit Crab	Cibanarius sp., used for scavenging habits
BOD	Biological Oxygen Demand	The amount of oxygen that would be consumed if all the organics in one liter of water were oxidized by bacteria and protozoa.
BR	Base Rock	Generic term for aragonite rocks which have no bacterial organisms or coralline algae growing in or on the rock
BS	Brittle Starfish	Class Ophiuroidea, related to starfish but have long, flexible arms.
BTA	Bubble Tipped Anemone	Entacmaea quadricolor, a species of of sea anemone of Indo-Pacific origin
BTU	British Thermal Unit	Unit of energy equal to about 1 055.05585 joules. It is approximately the amount of energy needed to heat 1 pound (0.454 kg) of water 1 ?F (0.556 ?C)
BYA	Bubble Tip Anemone	Type of anemone; signature of being the bulb tips that form towards the ends of the anemone?s tentacles.
BZA	Blue Zoo Aquatics	Vendor of aquariums, supplies, and stock
Ca	Calcium	Chemical symbol for the element Calcium
CA	Custom Aquatic	Supplier of fresh and marine aquarium supplies and stock
CaCl2, CACL2	Calcium Chloride	Chemical formula for salt
CaCO3, CACO3	Calcium Carbonate	Main component of corals, shells of marine organisms, snails
Ca(OH)2 CAOH2	Calcium Hydroxide	Calcium based powder use to make Kalkwasser
CB	Coral Beauty Angelfish	Centropyge bispinosus, commonly available marine angelfish
CBB	Copper Band Butterfly	Chelmon rostratus, also know as Beaked Coral Fish, Beaked Butterfly Fish
CBS	Coral Banded Shrimp	Stenopus hispidus, popular in reef and marine aquariums
CC	Counter Current	Typically refers to a type of skimmer
CC	Crushed Coral	Type of substrate used, generally 1/8″ ? 3/16″ size pieces
CL	Closed Loop	A reef tank system set up that  work by taking water out and sending it back in through various mechanical means to make flow in a tank.
CO2, CO2	Carbon Dioxide	Colorless gas
CO3, CO3	Carbonate	A salt of carbonic acid, combines with other elements to form carbonates like CaCO3
CPR	Creative Plastics Research	Manufacturer of fresh and saltwater products
CSL	Custom Sea Life	Aquarium lighting manufacturer
CTA	Cellulose Ariacetate	Can be used as a semi-permeable membrane in reverse osmosis systems
Cu	Copper	Chemical symbol for the metallic element Copper
CUC	Clean Up Crew	Group of invertebrates like snails, micro-crabs, cucumbers, and such, that that eat / remove algae and detritus.
CVR	Central Valley Reefers	Local Marine Club located in Central Valley, California
CWCS	Continuous Water Change System	A set-up used to achieve the results of weekly water changes
Cyano	Cyanobacteria	Bacteria species often referred to as slime algae
C2C	Coast to Coast	Refers to distance spanning USA
DC	Direct Curent	The unidirectional flow of electric charge produced by sources like batteries, thermocouples, solar cells, etc.
DD	Down Draft	Type of protein skimmer
DE	Double Ended	Generally referring to types of bulbs used in aquarium lighting fixtures
DFS	Doctors Foster & Smith	Online pet supply store
DI	Deionization	Type of water purification that removes charged ion species
DIY	Do It Yourself	Implies project or process can by done by the average person
dKH	Degrees of Calcium Hardness	A way to measure alkalinity
DO	Dissolved Oxygen	The amount of dissolved oxygen gas, 02, dissolved in water
DOC	Dissolved Organic Carbon	Describes all the dissolved compounds found in water that derive from organic materials
DSB	Deep Sand Bed	Bed of sand in an aquarium generally 3″-4″ or more deep
DT	Display Tank	Any aquarium tank keeping fish or other aquatic life
DT?s	??	Brand of phytoplankton
EB	Electronic Ballast	Type of ballasts used in aquarium light fixtures. Ballasts stabilize the current of gas-conducted fluorescent lights, compact fluorescents and halides
EC	Emerald Crab	Mithrax sculptus, kept for scavenging habits.
EC	End Cap	End fitting on T5 bulbs.
ETA	Estimated Time of Arrival	General use acronym
ER	Euro-Reef	Skimmer manufacturer
FAMA	Fresh and Marine Aquaria	A stand alone magazine at one time, now part of Aquarium Fish International
FAQ	Frequently Asked Questions	Common speech and text acronym
Fe, FE	Iron	Symbol for elemental iron
FFE	Flying Fish Express	Online livestock dealer now owned by pet dealer Drs. Foster and Smith
FO	Fish Only	Reef aquarium with no corals or live rock
FOWLR	Fish Only with Live Rock	Reef aquarium with live rock, no corals
FTS	Full Tank Shot	A photograph showing the entire aquarium tank
Fuge	Short for Refugium	A tank isolated, but connected to the main display tank that allows for common water filtration while at the same time keeping more aggressive fish from impacting its inhabitants.
FW	Fresh Water	Refers to aquariums that are non-saltwater
FW	Flat Worms	Platyhelminths common in tanks, most are harmless or even potentially beneficial to a reef tank. Can commonly reference reef tank pest Red Planaria
FWE	Flat Worm Exit	Product used to kill flatworm (Red Planaria) in reef and marine tanks
FYI	For Your Information	General speech acronym
FYM	For Your Mis-information	General speech acronym
GAC	Granular Activated Carbon	Adsorbent filtration media that has been crushed into granules; used to remove trace organic compounds from water
GAL	Gallon	Measure of volume approximately equal to 3.79 liters
GBP	Green Button Polyps	Colonies of small anemone looking polyps similar to Zoanthids in a wide range of colors including green
GBR	Great Barrier Reef	World?s largest reef system in the Coral Sea off NE coast of Australia
GBTA	Green Bubble Tip Anemone	Standard color morphs of Entacmaea quadricolor (others are rose, orange, and red)
GFO	Granular Ferric Oxide	Ferric Iron (Fe+++) based phosphate binding material used in filtration
GFCI	Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter	Type of AC plug with a fast-acting circuit breaker that senses small imbalances in an electrical circuit caused by the electrical current leaking to ground. If this imbalance occurs, the GFCI shuts off the electricity within a fraction of a second.
GFI	Ground Fault Interrupter	Another name for GFCI; see above
GFO	Granular Ferric Oxide	Used to bind, remove, and control levels of phosphate in reef aquariums
GHA	Green Hair Algae	A form of algae (Derbesia) that looks like hair, can grow rapidly out of control.
GOB	Green Open Brain	Trachyphyllia geoffroyi, type of coral in the wild found in the sand.
GPD	Gallons Per Day	Flow rate measurement
GPH	Gallons Per Hour	Flow rate measurement
GPM	Gallons Per Minute	Flow rate measurement
GSM	Gold Striped Maroon	Species of clown fish (Premnas biaculeatus)
GSP	Green Star Polyps	Small bright green polyps connected together by a rubbery purple colored mat. Open during the day, retracted at night or when disturbed.
H	Hydrogen	Chemical symbol for the element Hydrogen
HA	Hair Algae	Light green or green-gray type of algae that can become a nuisance in the aquarium
HCO3, HCO3	Hydrogen Carbonate	Another name for bicarbonate
HID	High Intensity Discharge	Type of lighting
HITH	Hole in the Head	Disease of tropical fish
HLLE	Head and Lateral Line Erosion	Fish disease that affects both freshwater and marine fish. Also known as hole-in-head disease.
HO	High Output	Type of fluorescent lighting used in marine aquaria tanks
HOB	Hang on Back	Term generally used to describe a type of skimmer that hangs on the back of an aquarium tank
HOT	Hang on Tank	Describes how and item affixes to an aquarium tank
HPS	High Pressure Sodium	Type of lighting primarily used for outdoor security lighting and indoor gardening.
HSA	High Speed Aeration	Type of protein skimmer
HQI	Mercury Quartz Iodide	Type of metal halide lamp. The H referrers to Mercury by its chemical symbol, Hg
I–	Iodide	One of the largest (monoatomic) anions
I	Iodine	Chemical symbol for element; occurs in slightly greater concentrations in seawater than in rocks. It normally exists as a diatomic molecule I2
I2	Iodine	Naturally occurring form of element Iodine (I)
IA	Inland Aquatics	Store selling captive reared and tank raised corals, fishes, and marine invertebrates
Ich, Ick	Ichthyophthirius multifilis	Common fish disease easily recognizable by its white cottony spots or strings.
IO	Instant Ocean	Brand of aquarium salt
IO3, IO3	Iodate	A salt containing 1 Iodine bonded to three oxygen atoms and found in seawater
IPSF	Indo-Pacific Sea Farms	Online retailer of captive bred marine life.
IR	Infrared	The band of the light spectrum that lies between the visible and microwave portions of the electromagnetic spectrum
IW	In Wall	A tank mounted in a wall, typically with only one viewable side
K	Kelvin	Refers to either a unit of measure of temperature on the thermodynamic (absolute) temperature scale or to a lighting rating where color temperature is a measurement in degrees Kelvin that indicates the hue of a specific type of light source.
Kalk, KW	Kalk?v?asser	German term for calcium hydroxide solution or lime water
KI	Potassium Iodide	Chemical symbol for the compound Potassium (K) Iodide (I) used to replenish Iodine in reef tanks.
kWh	Kilowatt Hour	Unit of energy equal to 1000 watt hours where watt hours is the multiplication of power in watts and time in hours. It is the billing unit of energy delivered to consumers by electric utilities.
L or l	Liter, Litre	Metric unit of volume ? 0.264 gallons US
LA	Live Aquaria	Online dealer of fresh and marine plants and animals
LA3 or L3	LumenArc 3	Type of aquarium lighting reflector
Lb. or Lbs	Pounds	Unit of mass
LED	Light Emitting Diode	A semiconductor light source used as indicator lamps in many devices, and increasingly used for lighting.
LFS	Local Fish Store	Refers to any local brick and mortar store selling aqua related items
LHS	Local Hardware Store	Refers to any local brick and mortar store selling hardware and related items
LMB	Lawn Mower Blenny	Salarias fasciatus; noted for its ability to keep algae growth, especially hair algae, in the check in marine aquariums.
Lobo	Lobophyllia	Brain coral species that is a large polyp stony coral noted for its varied colors, shapes, and patterns.
Lord	Lordhowensis	Also, “The Lord,” a common species of Acanthastrea.
LPH	Liters Per Hour	Flow rate measurement
LPS	Large Polyp Scleractinian	Type of coral defined by polyp size (~ 1cm and up) and belonging to the order of stony corals, Scleractinian, which build calcium carbonate skeletons as they grow.
LR	Live Rock	Rock containing Coralline algae and inhabited by a multitude of marine organisms used in marine aquariums because of benefits it provides to these closed systems.
LS	Live Sand	Coral sand that has the microscopic biological bacteria that grows on it, and the many tiny crustaceans and other micro and macro-organisms that reside in it. used in marine aquariums because of benefits it provides to these closed systems.
LSB	Live Sand Bed	Sand bed with living organisms residing in it
LRB	Little Red Bugs	Common parasitic crustacean that infects only Acropora species of SPS corals
LTA	Long Tentacle Anemone	Macrodactyla doreensis, also referred to as the Corkscrew Anemone
MACNA	Marine Aquaria Conference of North America	Conference held annually and hosted in different locations each year
MASNA	Marine Aquarium Societies of North America	A non-profit organization composed of marine aquarium clubs and individual hobbyists from North America and abroad
MB	Magnetic Ballast	A type of ballast that uses a magnetic core to regulate the voltage of a fluorescent light
MD	Marine Depot	Online source for aquarium pet fish supplies, fish tank accessories, products and equipment
meq/L or MEQ/L	Millieqivalents Per Liter	Measurement of alkalinity
MARS	Marine Aquarist Round Table of Sacramento	Local marine club located in Sacramento, California
Mg or Mag	Magnesium	Chemical symbol for the element Magnesium
MG/L	Milligrams Per Liter	Metric measurement of concentration
MH	Metal Halide	Type of lamp used in aquarium lighting
Micro	Micromussa	Coral species characterized by 5-6 millimeter corallites that are cerioid (shares the same wall with each other)
Milli	Acropora Millepora	A SPS coral that grows mostly vertically, which leads to a bushy morphology that is semi-erect. Polyps extend from vertical branch tips.
MJ	Maxi Jet	Brand of pumps used in fresh and marine systems
MM	Miracle Mud	A brand of refugium mud substrate
MN	Montipora Nudibranch	Nudibranch pest that affects SPS corals
MO	Mail Order	Referring to items purchased by mail
MV	Mercury Vapor	Type of lighting.
N	Nitrogen	Symbol for the chemical element Nitrogen, composes 78.08% by volume of earths air.
Na	Sodium	Symbol for the chemical element sodium
NaCO3, NaCO3	Sodium Carbonate	Incorrect formula used to designate carbonate ion form NaHCO3 a buffering agent.
NaOH	Sodium Hydroxide	Chemical commonly used to adjust pH and alkalinity in aquaria
NH3, NH3	Ammonia	Compound composed of Nitrogen (N) and 3 Hydrogen (H) atoms. In aquariums produced by the decomposition of organics. Very toxic to fish
NNR	Natural Nitrate Reduction	Method of aquarium filtration developed by Dr. Jaubert; consists of a Deep Sand Bed (DSB), a plenum and a protein skimmer.
NO	Normal Output	Type of fluorescent light
NO2, NO2	Nitrite	Compound composed of Nitrogen (N) and 2 Hydrogen (H) atoms. What Ammonia is converted to by nitrogen-fixing bacteria in fresh and marine aquariums. Toxic to fish
NO3, NO3	Nitrate	Compound composed of Nitrogen (N) and 1 Hydrogen (H) atom. The product from Nitrobacter bacteria converting Nitrite in fresh and marine aquariums.
NPS	Non Photosynthetic	Corals that do not contain photosynthetic algae and strictly filter feed. Common genus include  Tubastrea (“Sun Coral”), Dendrophyllia (“Dendros”) and Balanophyllia (“Balanos”)
NSW	Natural Sea Water	Sea or ocean water
NTS	New Tank Syndrome	The period in which ammonia and then nitrite levels rise to dangerous quantities before being converted into relatively harmless nitrate in a newly setup tank.
NTTH	New to the hobby	common acronym used in forums
NVR	Northern Valley Reefers	Local reefkeeping club in Central Valley, CA
O	Oxygen	Chemical symbol for the element oxygen; a colorless and odorless gas
O2, O2	Oxygen	How oxygen occurs naturally in the air; as a pair of oxygen atoms
OM	Ocean Motions	Four way pump.
OP	Original Poster	Person who initially started a thread on a message board or forum.
ORP	Oxidation Reduction Potential	Measure of a systems ability to oxidize material. In general, oxidation occurs if the oxygen content of a covalently bonded molecule increases or if the hydrogen content decreases.
OTS	Old Tank Syndrome	Generally the result of gradual changes occurring in the water over a long period of time (many weeks to many months or even years ). Often recognized when old fish remain fine, but new fish die.
PA	Premium Aquatics	Retailer of livestock and marine aquarium supplies
PAR	Photosynthetic Active Radiation	Measure of irradiance, the amount of sunlight or ambient light that diffuses through water compared to surface light. Focuses on the dynamics of the photic zone, ~1-5 meters below the surface
PB	Pulse Ballast	Type of light ballast using a high-voltage igniter that works with the ballast to start the lamp using a series of high-voltage pulses.
PBITAWA	Pour Bleach In Tank And Walk Away	Acronym used to insult or joke with a user on a reef-related forum referring implying that the situation is hopeless or will require a lot of work to correct.
PBT	Powder Blue Tank	Acanthurus leucosternon. Marine tank fish prized for its vivid colors and bold markings.
PC	Power Compact	Type of fluorescent light
PE	Polyp Extension	When corals extend their polyps out from their stony housings
PFO	??	Lighting manufacturer
PH	Power Head	Type of internal water pump
pH	Potential Hydrogen	Or Potenz (power) Hydrogen; measure of acidity or alkalinity.
PM	Precision Marine	Marine filtration component manufacturer
PO4, PO4	Phosphate	Compound composed of Phosphate (P) and 4 Oxygen (O). Used as food by aquarium algae.
Pods	Copepods	A very diverse group of crustaceans found in marine and freshwater environments.
PPB	Parts Per Billion	Measurement of concentration
PPM	Parts Per Million	Measurement of concentration
PPT	Parts Per Thousand	Measurement of concentration
PS	Protein Skimmer	Device used in marine aquariums to remove proteins
PUR	Photosynthetically Usable Radiation	The usable portion of PAR, and different photosynthetic species will have a different PUR range to which they respond.
PVC	Poly Vinyl Chloride	Type of plastics commonly used in plumbing
QT	Quarantine Tank	Tank used to sequester and protect an exiting tank by allowing new fish to regain optimum health before their introduction into the main tank.
RBTA	Rose Bubble Tipped Anemone	A less common form of the Bubble Tip Anemone
RC	Reef Central	Online aquaria bulletin board community
RC	Reef Crystals	Brand of marine aquarium salt
RDO	Reefs.org	Aquarium bulletin board
RDSD	Remote Deep Sand Bed	Option used to filter nitrates from a reef system
Rics	Ricordea	Genus of  of mushroom coral of moderate size. It can be identified by the fact that it has contrasting raised dots across its surface
RK	Reef Keeping	Online aquarium magazine
RLH	Red Leg Hermit Crab	Paguristes cadenati, used as algae eater and scavenger
RO	Reverse Osmosis	Type of water purification
RO/DI	Reverse Osmosis /Deionization	Combination of water purification processes commonly found in systems used by aquarists to create purified water.
ROB	Red Open Brain	Trachyphyllia geoffroyi, seen in different red variatoins as well as green. Also know as Folded Brain Coral, Crater Coral, Round Brain Coral
RR	Reef Ready	Aquarium that has pre-drilled holes and overflows
RS, RSS	Red Sea, Red Sea Salt	Brand name
RSM	Red Slime Remover	Commercial product for removing red slime algae (cyanobacteria) from tanks
RTN	Rapid Tissue Necrosis	A type protozoa infection of corals
RUGF	Reverse Under Gravel Filter	Filter system where ater is pumped down through the “uplift” tubes and then rises up through the gravel. The water is mechanically pre-filtered before it is pumped.
SAL	Salinity	Measure of the dissolved salt content of a body of water, expressed by the amount of salt found in 1000 grams of water or ppt
Saki	Iwasaki	Lighting manufacturer
SEAbay	Saltwater Enthusiast Association of the Bay Area	Reef Club located in northern California
SB	Sandbed	Layer of sand on aquarium bottom
SCWD	Switching Current Water Director	3iQ Ventures wave making product for aquariums, pronounced “squid”
SD	Southdown	Type of sand
SE	Single Ended	Type of lamp used in aquarium lighting
SG	Specific Gravity	Physical property used to measure saltwater density
SHO	Super High Output	Fluorescent light, equivalent to power compact fluorescent
Shrooms	Mushrooms	Belong to the order corallimorpharia, look like both anemones and true corals but are neither.
Si	Silicon	A chemical element and found in sands, dusts, and rock primarily as silicon dioxide or silicates
SiO2, SiO2	Silicon Dioxide	Commonly found form of silicon
SPS	Small Polyp Scleractinian	Type of coral defined by polyp size (~ under 1cm) and belonging to the order of stony corals, Scleractinian, which build calcium carbonate skeletons as they grow.
Sr	Strontium	Chemical element, can be combined place of calcium in deposited calcium carbonate.
SSB	Shallow Sand Bed	Sand bed generally less than 3″ deep
Sticky	??	Refers to postings in forum threads that always stay at top, regardless of original date of post
STN	Slow Tissue Necrosis	Type of protozoa infection of corals
SW	Salt Water / Sea Water	Ocean, sea or water created to simulate these
T#	?-	Measurement of fluorescent bulb diameter in 1/8″ increments. i.e. a T5 is 5/8″, a T12 is 1.5″
TAR	?	Type of magnetic ballast
TBS	Tampa Bay Saltwater	Producer of live rock
TDS	Total Dissolved Solids	Portion of solids in water that can pass through a 2 micron filter
TFC	Thin Film Composite	Type of reverse osmosis membrane
TIC	Total Inorganic Carbon	The sum of inorganic carbon species in a solution
TM	Tropic Marin	Brand of sea salt and aquarium supplies
TOC	Total Organic Carbon	The amount of carbon bound in an organic compounds
TOTM	Tank of the Month	Featured tank on a forum or website
Trachy	Trachyphyllia	Brain coral
TRT	The Reef Tank	Online forum
TWP	Tap Water Purifier	Device used to filter tap water; product for filtering tap water from Aquatic Pharmaceuticals
UGF	Under Gravel Filter	Aquarium filtration system installed under the substrate covering the tank bottom.
ULNS	Ultra Low Nutrient System	Refers to ideal aquarium set up where water quality that is as good as nature; stable without parameter swings.
UV	Ultra Violet	Portion of light spectrum with a wavelength shorter than that of visible light, but longer than X-rays.
V	Volt	SI derived unit of electromotive force, commonly called voltage
VHO	Very High Output	Type of fluorescent lighting
VSV	Vodka ,Sugar or Vinegar	Mix used for carbon dosing reef aquariums
W	Watts	Unit of power that measures the rate of energy conversion. It is defined as one joule per second.
WC	Water Change	Refers to removing and replacing a quantity of water in a tank.
WD	Wet Dry	Method of aquarium filtration
Wellso	Wellsophyllia	Dated term for brain coral now referred to as Trachyphylliidae radiata coral
WH	Wiring Harness	Part used in aquarium lighting setups
WNL	Within Normal Limits	Reference to test results that fall within established paramenters
WPG	Watts Per Gallon	Method of measuring light requirements
WPS	White Star Polyps	Pachyclavularia species, also occur in brown and green
WSM	White Stripe Maroon	Premnas biaculeatus, variety of Clownfish
WTB	Want to Buy	Common acronym used on forums
WTS	Want to Sell	Common acronym used on forums
WTT	Want to Trade	Common acronym used on forums
WQ	Water Quality	Measure of the degree of water purity
WYSIWYG	What You See Is What You Get	Common acronym used on forums
X10	??	Company that makes automation and control products
YWG	Yellow Watchman Goby	Cyrptocentrus cinctus; also know as Yellow Watchman Prawn, or Yellow Shrimp Goby
Zoas, Zoos	Zooanthids	Soft corals of genus Zoanthus, commonly referred to Button Polyps, Colonial Anemones, or Sea Mats. They resemble clusters of miniature sea anemones.