Species Type:
Corals, Invertebrates
Common Name(s):
Encrusting gorgonian
Size:
Encrusting gorgonians grow to large sizes over dead corals, rocks and other hard surfaces.
Diet:
Using its polyp tentacles, encrusting gorgonians will catch and eat smaller marine organisms that drift by. Coral also have a special algae—called zooxanthellae– in their tissues that photosynthesize the sun's rays into energy/food.
Range & Habitat:
In most shallow reef environments, encrusting gorgonians can be found in the Atlantic ocean, Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea.
Details:
Encrusting gorgonians are soft corals that grow in thin mat form, stretching flat over hard surfaces and substrates. They have long tan polyps that look similar to hair or fur.