Preview
Family
Plexauridae
Colony Form
Small bushy colony with branches arising from near base; to 50 cm tall.
Axis
Cylindrical, very thin and almost imperceptible at the tips.
Branches
Long, brittle branches with terminal knobs.
Apertures
Oval; those towards branch tip have a noticeable lip.
Mucus
Absent
Color
Pale, beige to light brown; dries mainly white.
Sclerites
Polyp armature reduced, with flat rods, no collar; smallest in subgenus Euniceopsis. Axial layer: purple spindles (0.13-0.22 mm) usually with a few projecting spines. Middle layer: transparent spindles (0.7-1.5 mm, usually less than 1 mm long). Surface layer: torch clubs (0.09-0.17 mm), with sharp tips coming off the head.
Habitat
Fore-reef terraces in 12-20 m depth.
Distribution
Uncommon in South Florida and the Caribbean.
Similar Species
Date Taken
4-11-2016
Notes
Very uncommon and difficult to distinguish; morphologically similar to E. fusca and with asexual vegetative forms similar to E. flexuosa.