Sea Fans (55)

General descriptionSea fans or also often called gorgonians are colonial marine animal forming erect, flattened, branching colonies in tropical and subtropical waters. They have a central internal skeleton, composed of a flexible, horny substance called „gorgonin“, supports all branches of the colony, and the living tissues form a layer over its entire surface. Colonies may be several feet high and are most often colorful, with purples, reds, and yellows predominating. Cylindrical sessile forms—that grow together [Further read]in a flat, fanlike pattern. The individuals, or polyps, have six or eight feathery tentacles and feed on plankton organisms.

Acabaria(1), Acalycigorgia(1), Anthogorgia(1), Astrogorgia(1), Briareum(3), Cirripathes(1), Ctenocella(1), Diodogorgia(2), Ellisella(1), Erythropodium(1), Eunicea(2), Euplexaura(2), Gorgonia(1), Isis(1), Junceella(1), Leptogorgia(1), Melithaea(1), Menella(1), Mopsella(1), Muricea(4), Muricella(1), Muriceopsis(3), Paramuricea(1), Pinnigorgia(1), Plexaura(1), Plexaurella(2), Plexauridae(1), Pseudoplexaura(2), Pseudopterogorgia(5), Pterogorgia(2), Rumphella(2), Siphonogorgia(1), Subergorgia(1), Swiftia(2), Syphonogorgia(1), Thesea(1)