sea fans
Flat colony corals
Sea fans are a type of soft coral that grows in flat, branching patterns resembling delicate fans or lace.
Found in tropical and subtropical waters, they attach to reefs and rocks, their flexible branches swaying with ocean currents.
The intricate lattice structure filters plankton from passing water.
Divers photographed the purple sea fans along the reef.
- sessileAttached at base
- coralMarine skeletal formation
- coral gardenUnderwater colony ecosystem
- soft coralsFlexible marine polyp colonies
- polypsFixed aquatic invertebrates
colonies · marine · marine life · Indo-Pacific region · skeletons · ecosystems · filter feeders · diving · tentacles · invertebrates · aquarium · purple · delicate · snorkeling · swaying · current · reef · underwater