Alcyonidiidae

Bryozoans in this family form encrusting colonies of thin translucent sheets, or thicker, opaque fleshy patches; or erect colonies of firm fleshy lobes. Autozooids are typically contiguous, multilayered in erect species; sometimes loosely coherent, with less regular orientation, budding in linear series at colony margins. Simple kenozooids are often present, forming box-like, conical or papillate structures, spinose kenozooids absent. Orifice circular, closed by a sphincter muscle and appearing puckered. Embryos brooded within the tentacle sheath or within an internal brood pouch, following the degeneration of the polypide; non-brooded planktonic larvae produced by at least one species.

(Hayward, 1985)