Brook, 1889
Type species: Stichopathes pourtalesi Brook, 1889
Total number of species estimated: 34
The most common species: Stichopathes variabilis van Pesch, 1914, Stichopathes filiformis Gray, 1868
Description: Colonies unbranched, whip-like. Spines compressed triangular to conical, smooth-surfaced or slightly to distinctly papillose; subequal on all sides of the axis or longer on the polyp side. Polyps slightly longer along the sagittal axis than along the transverse axis. Polyps usually in a single row. Zooxanthellae present in some species (van Pesch, 1914).
Habitat: Reefs, continental slope and deep sea.
Range: Subtropic and tropic regions. The highest diversity of species is found in the tropical waters.