Description

Also known as Brown Encrusting Soft Coral, Caribbean Octocoral, Encrusting Polyp, Gorgonian, Octocoral, Scleraxonia, Sea Mat.

Found in colonies, forming encrusting mats, over coral and rocky bottoms of reefs. Extended polyps and tentacles appear as fine hairs.
They feed on plankton.
Length - 100cm
Depth - 0-25m
Widespread Western Atlantic, Caribbean

Most soft corals have no true skeleton and so their bodies are flexible.
Some soft corals have spikes very similar to rose thorns which may help to protect against predators.
Soft corals are food and shelter to many marine animals, some of which hide in the branches and take on the colouration of these corals. Ref: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erythropodium_caribaeorum