a. and sb. Zool. [f. mod.L. Zōanthāria neut. pl., f. Zōanthus, name of genus, f. Gr. ζῶον animal + ἄνθος flower.] a. adj. Belonging to the Zoantharia, one of the main divisions of Actinozoa (contrasted with Alcyonaria), containing the sea-anemones and other (often flower-like) animals, usually with simple tentacles and parts arranged in sixes (HEXACORALLAN); sb. a member of the Zoantharia. Also Zoanthid, a member of the family Zoanthidæ of zoantharians, typified by the genus Zoanthus (hence Zoanthidan a.); Zoanthodeme [Gr. δέμα bundle], a compound organism formed of coherent zoantharian zooids or polyps (hence Zoanthodemic a.); Zoanthoid a. [-OID], resembling or related to the genus Zoanthus.
1887. H. A. Nicholson, Man. Zool. (ed. 7), 186. Transverse section of a simple *Zoantharian Coral (Cyathina Bowerbanki).
1888. Rolleston & Jackson, Anim. Life, 733, note. The Zoantharian mesenterial filaments.
1887. H. A. Nicholson, Man. Zool., xiii. (1875), 132. Structures supposed to be gills are developed in some *Zoanthids on either side of the primary mesenteries.
1888. Rolleston & Jackson, Anim. Life, 736. A pair [of mesenteries] of the typical *Zoanthidan structure.
1877. Huxley, Anat. Inv. Anim., iii. 155. Many give rise by gemmation to turf-like, or arborescent, *zoanthodemes.
1854. A. Adams, etc., Man. Nat. Hist., 354. *Zoanthoid-Polyps (Zoanthoida).
1841. T. R. Jones, Anim. Kingd., 37. A small *Zoanthus or other naked zoophyte.
