Preview
Family
Plexauridae
Common Name(s)
Bent sea rod.
Colony Form
Variable: bushy, candelabrum, sometimes dense stands of short branches; dichotomous branching. Maximum height ~1 m.
Axis
Cylindrical to elliptical in cross-section.
Branches
Profuse; terminal branches often short, same thickness from base to tip.
Apertures
Low apertures, sometimes with a very smooth and small lower lip.
Mucus
Absent
Color
Beige to bright ochre. Some morphs can be purple or blue. Polyps are slightly lighter than the colony.
Sclerites
Polyp armature of ornate rods 0.05-0.3 mm long; no collar. Axial layer: purple capstans and spindles, diversely arranged and ornamented, 0.01-0.26 mm long. Middle layer: robust spindles to 4.5 mm long. Surface layer: club sclerites to 0.22 mm long; heads with foliated and fused lobules, sometimes slightly serrated.
Habitat
All kinds of reefs and rocky-coral environments from very shallow (0.5 m) to 50 m.
Distribution
Widespread: Bahamas, Bermuda, South Florida, Gulf of Mexico, and throughout the Caribbean Sea.
Similar Species
Date Taken
4-11-2016
Notes
Common in shallow areas with Plexaura homomalla. It has the smallest polyps of all Eunicea species. Colonies in deeper waters and gentle slopes exhibit vegetative propagation.