muriceidæ

from The Century Dictionary.

• A large family of alcyonarians of the order Axifera, having the axis horny, the zoöids divided into three regions, and the tentacles infolded at rest and provided at their bases with an armor of stout spicules forming a false operculum. It contains more than twenty genera, among which are Acanthogorgia, Paramuricea, Villogorgia, and Acis.