Dendronephthya sp.

(Kükenthal, 1905)

Vernacular names
English : Thistle soft coral
French : Alcyonaire épineux

Classification
Class : Anthozoa
Order : Malacalcyonacea
Family : Nephtheidae
Notes : No subspecies known. Many species recognized, most of them unidentifiable without microscopic examination.

Identification
Colonies are arborescent and some can grow to over 1 meter in height. Coloration variable, from pink to orange or yellow. Polyps never retract and look bushy. Visible spine-like spicules around the polyps to support the whole colony.

Range and habitat
Over 250 species are known, all of them found in the Indo-Pacific area, from Red Sea to South Africa east to central Pacific islands. Lives in estuaries, coral reefs and oceanic area with strong current, no wave action.

Conservation
IUCN RED LIST : NOT LISTED
CITES : Not listed
Status : Species from this genus are locally common where suitable living conditions are found. Potentially threatened by pollution and global warming.
Ex-Situ Programs : None known

Observation

 

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