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Double-forked sea rod

Plexaurella dichotoma

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Fun Facts

These corals can live at a maximum depth of 89 feet (27 meters.)

Species Type:

Corals, Invertebrates

Common Name(s):

Double-forked sea rod

Size:

Double-forked sea rod colonies can grow up to 3.3 feet (1 meter) tall.

Diet:

Using its polyp tentacles, double-forked sea rods catch and eat smaller marine organisms that drift by. They also have a special algae—called zooxanthellae– in their tissues that photosynthesize the sun's rays into energy/food.

Range & Habitat:

In the western Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea, double-forked sea rod can be found on offshore patch reefs along the outer and front edges.

Details:

Ranging from yellow to brown in color, double-forked sea rods are a branching coral with rigid, thick and long branches coming from a single base.