Preview
Family
Plexauridae
Common Name(s)
Doughnut sea rod.
Colony Form
Small irregular candelabrum with sparse and disorganized branching but in a dichotomous trend; colonies usually less than 30 cm, but up to 50 cm tall.
Axis
Very thin, almost imperceptible; cylindrical in cross-section.
Branches
Slim branches 2.5-3.5 mm in diameter; tip sometimes slightly bulbous.
Apertures
Low calyx developed as enlargement of weak lower lip.
Mucus
Absent
Color
Black-gray to ochre; polyps brown.
Sclerites
Axial layer: spindles to 0.2 mm long, colorless or slightly violet, sometimes with large ornamentation. Middle layer with spindles to 2 mm long. Surface layer: clubs with smooth folds, sometimes fused, to 0.18 mm long. Polyp armature: slightly curved rods 0.05-0.22 mm long.
Habitat
Protected reef areas with intermediate wave exposure and depth, to ~15 m.
Distribution
Widespread: Bahamas, Bermuda, South Florida, Gulf of Mexico, and throughout the Caribbean Sea.
Similar Species
Date Taken
4-11-2016
Notes
Grows mainly through asexual propagation. E. fusca size and colony construction differ from that of E. tayrona due to asexual propagation in the former. Specimens of the two species taken at the same site differ in composition of secondary metabolites (terpenoids).