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What Is a Fan Coral?

Gorgonians, also called sea fans, sea whips, or sea plumes, are a type of coral, a colony of tiny sea animals banded together to form a solid skeleton, known as a pylops.

  1. Appearance

    • Gorgonians are elongated and snake-like in appearance, and belong to the scientific order Gorgonacea. They get their name from the Greek mythological creature Gorgon, who is closely related to a snake.

    Species

    • There are over 500 different species of Gorgonians, varying in size and color. Some species can grow as tall as several feet, and they come in photosynthetic or non-photosynthetic varieties, depending on if they can produce their own food from light, similar to plants.

    Habitat

    • Gorgonians can be found worldwide, especially in tropical and subtropical regions where most coral species seem to thrive.

    Nocturnal

    • Most species of gorgonian are nocturnal, and retract their tentacle like pylops during daytime hours. This protects them from potential predators and prevents them from overexposure to the sun.

    Symbiotic Algae

    • As with many varieties of coral, symbiotic algae can live inside the pylops of gorgonians. In some cases, the algae may alter the color of the gorgonian, or the gorgonian may use the algae for a food source.

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