Zoanthids, like all of the animals typically called “coral” in the marine aquarium hobby, are cnidarians (pronounced “nigh-dare-ee-yans"). More specifically, zoanthids are part of the class Anthozoa, which translates from the Greek as "flower animal"--an apt term for a zoanthid. The class Anthoza includes zoanthids' closest relatives: soft and leather corals, sea anemones, mushroom corals, and stony corals.
The Zoanthus genus is often the best represented genus from the family Zoanthidae in the hobby, and it is most frequently what people think of when they think of zoanthids. There are many species, and most, like these, are simply identified for the aquarist by their remarkable color schemes.
This particular species of zoanthid is known to rely heavily on zooxanthellae, so much so, in fact, that some aquarists claim no food response occurs as a result of targeted feedings. In reality, this is probably because Zoanthus species are more selective in their feeding. Regardless, it is essential to place them in high light environments in order to sustain their zooxanthellae populations. Do experiment with target feedings of planktivore foods. We also recommend using Cyclopeeze as a supplemental food or try our own Blue Zoo Mix which is rich in both Cyclopeeze and Golden Pearls. Simply with mix with system water and target feed it to the ployps with a turkey baster.
If you missed the Blue Zoo News article on zoanthids, you can find it archived in the resources section of our website.