Preview
Family
Anthothelidae
Common Name(s)
Encrusting gorgonian
Colony Form
Irregular mat <1 cm thick, encrusting over hard substrates. Elongated polyp tentacles appear as long fur or hair when extended. Rind appears smooth and leathery when polyps are retracted.
Axis
None
Branches
None
Apertures
Pinhole-sized, often star-shaped, sometimes slightly projecting.
Mucus
Absent, but surface slippery.
Color
Tan with paler apertures; underside reddish; polyps tan or light brown.
Sclerites
All 6-radiate, colorless in outer cortex, red in inner cortex.
Habitat
Most shallow reef environments.
Distribution
Bahamas, South Florida, and Caribbean Sea.
Similar Species
Date Taken
4-11-2016
Notes
Unlike similar Briareum polyanthes, E. caribaeorum forms thin, tan, encrusting mats on hard surfaces rather than on other octocorals. Bases of B. asbestinum colonies often encrust but give rise to upright rods.