Members of the family Oculinidae are characterised by having the walls of the
corallites (the cups which house the
polyps) being composed of solid walled though rather fragile tubes connected by a smooth skeletal material called
coenosteum. The corallites are widely spaced and robust. The
septa (ridges on the corallite walls) curve noticeably outward giving the coral a spiky appearance. Many species in this family form a
symbiotic relationship with the
flagellate protozoa zooxanthellae which live within the tissues of the polyps. These are
photosynthetic algae that provide nutrients for the polyps while themselves benefiting from a safe environment and an elevated, sunny position. ==Genera==