Forked Sea Feather (Pseudopterogorgia bipinnata)

Also known as Bi-pinnate Sea Plume, Caribbean Gorgonian Coral, Caribbean Octocoral, Colonial Soft Coral, Octocoral, Purple Frilly Gorgonian, Purple Sea Plume, Small Sea Feather, West Indian Sea Feather

Description

Also known as Bi-pinnate Sea Plume, Caribbean Gorgonian Coral, Caribbean Octocoral, Colonial Soft Coral, Octocoral, Purple Frilly Gorgonian, Purple Sea Plume, Small Sea Feather, West Indian Sea Feather.

Found attached to the substrate, over clear shallow water reefs.
They feed on plankton.
Length - 100cm
Depth - 3-20m
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/Antillogorgia_bipinnata

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