soft coral

Bendable reef organism

Soft coral refers to marine invertebrates of the order Alcyonacea, distinguished from hard corals by their lack of a rigid calcium carbonate skeleton.

Instead, soft corals have flexible, fleshy bodies supported by tiny internal structures called spicules.

They include sea fans, sea whips, and leather corals: The reef was covered in colorful soft corals swaying in the current.

Common in tropical and temperate waters, they're popular in marine aquariums.

reef

Underwater rock or coral formation

sea fanBranching colonial coral
anemoneTentacled polyp or bloom
ecosystemInterconnected organisms and surroundings

biodiversity · substrate · benthic · tropical · Indo-Pacific · Caribbean · Great Barrier Reef · lagoon · atoll · sponge

biology

polyp

Fleshy membrane projection

tentacleFlexible grasping appendage
colonialOf occupied territories
sessileAttached at base

filter-feeding · symbiosis · spicules · anthozoa · invertebrate · planktonic · larvae · budding · tissue · calcium carbonate

appearance

vibrant

Full of life, intensity

fluorescentEmitting light when energized
iridescentShowing shifting spectral colors
translucentPermitting diffused light passage

feathery · branching · swaying · undulating · fan-shaped · fleshy · pulsing · delicate · wispy · flowing

diving

underwater

Below the surface

scubaPortable underwater breathing gear
snorkelingSurface swimming with breathing tube
night diveUnderwater exploration at darkness

macro · aquarium · marine park · observation · current · visibility · depth · tropical waters · dive site

soft coral

reef

polyp

vibrant

underwater

soft coral

Opposites

Categories

Family