Phylum Cnidaria (Coelenterata)
Range:  Pre Cambrian - Holocene

  Multicellular, tentacle bearing

  Radial symmetry
digestion
muscular system
nervous system
sensory (elementary) system
reproductive system

Systems lacking:  Respiratory, excretory, circulatory

Subphylum Ctenophora:  No exoskeleton
comb jellies
few fossil forms

Subphylum Cnidaria
  Presence of pneumatocycts (stinging cells)
  Asexual budding - solitary polyps polypoid colonies
  Sexual reproduction - ciliated larvae that attach to bottom
  Polymorphism - medusoid stage - free swimming polypoid stage - fixed
  Skeletons: Calcite - hydrozoans
  Aragonite - anthozoans
  Chitonophosphatic - conularids (probably not corals)
All Cnidaria are Marine

Class Hydrozoa: Proterozoic - Holocene, marine and freshwater
  Polyp stage usually dominates in alternation of generations
Chiton and calcareous forms
   Order Milleporina:  U Cret - Holocene
  Millepora sp.
    harbors unicellular algae (zooxanthellae), symbiotic
    depth 0-30 m
    form effected by:  energy level
            substrate
            parasites, especially barnacles
           depth, colonies that are exposed are
           stunted
    porous aragonite skeleton
    reef builders, primarily encrusters

   Order Sphaeractiniida:  Permian - Cretaceous
  calcareous skeleton
  concentric radial trabeculae
  colonial
  Stromatomorpha

   Order Stromatoporida:  Ord. - Dev.   (PORIFERA)
  calcareous skeleton
  discrete or amalgamated horizontal (plates, laminae) and vertical (pillar) structures
  colonial
  habit:  laminar (sheet-like),  massive,  cylindrical, dendroid
  classified by most paleontologists as sponges
  found as:  Bioherms,  Biostromes ("Banks")
  found in limestone, shaly Ls
  tangential and parallel sections necessary for identification

Class Scyphozoa - tetrameral radial symmetry, exclusively marine
Proterozoic - Holocene 
Major part of the life cycle spent as medusa stage
tetrameral radial symmetry displayed   

  Jellyfish are the prominent members of this class

Subclass Conulata:  Middle Cambrian - Triassic (probably not corals)
   Order Conulariida
  cones-shaped to elongate, pyramidal, subcylindrical
  chitinophosphatic
  up to 6" in length
  found in fetid black shales, found in all lithologies
  clear, warm, shallow water, some samples brecciated -  surf zone
Class Anthozoa:  Proterozoic - Holocene., exclusively marine
solitary and colonial
medusa absent, only free-swimming larva between polyp stage
all corals,  sea anemones,  sea fans,  sea pens,  sea feathers
Subclass Ceriantipatharia:  "Black Corals"  (Miocene-Holocene)
   Order Antipatharia
  Non-reef dwelling
  1-1900 fathoms
  unpaired mesentaries

Subclass Octocorallia: PreCambrian, Ordovician, Silurian(?)
    Permian(?), Triassic(?), Jurassic - Holocene
  Colonial with eight tentacles, symmetry bilateral

   Order Gorgonacea:  sea whips, sea feathers, sea fans  (Range: Silurian - Holocene)
  also termed horny corals
  calcareous sclerites bound firmly or loosely by horny or calcareous matter; minor-
     major sediment contributors
Subclass Zoantharia
     solitary and colonial forms, including anemonies
     paired mesentaries characteristic
     aragonite composition