Preview
Family
Plexauridae
Common Name(s)
Shelf-knob sea rod
Colony Form
Candelabrum or bushy mainly in one plane with branches arising near colony base; usually <60 cm but up to 1 m tall. Morphotypeplantaginea with fewer, more slender branches.
Axis
Cylindrical in cross-section.
Branches
Few and separated to profuse and crowded; ~7 mm across, usually >50% colony height. Morphotype plantaginea with branches 20-25 cm long, 3-5 mm across.
Apertures
Hemispherical with lower lip; calices recognizable by diagonally upward protrusion. Rows of calices sometimes spiral along branches.
Mucus
Absent
Color
Ochre. Dries dark brown to tan. Light brown polyps.
Sclerites
Polyp armature: small flattened rods. Axial layer: purple spindles 0.13-0.5 mm long, with simple to laterally deformed ornaments. Middle layer: large transparent spindles to 2 mm long and usually thin, 0.09-0.2 mm across. Surface layer: dense torch-like clubs 0.13-0.35 mm long.
Habitat
Reef terraces and slopes with moderate wave exposure, from shallow water to 25 m in depth.
Distribution
Bahamas, South Florida, and throughout the Caribbean Sea.
Similar Species
Date Taken
4-11-2016
Notes
The plantaginea morphotype is taller and bushier with longer branches. E. succinea grows in one plane but may vary in branch density from few and separated to many and crowded. It can also be confused with thinner colonies of E. mammosa; check the calices.