Dictionary > Sea fan

Sea fan

Definition
noun, plural: sea fans
A soft coral species that is characterized by its fanlike form
Supplement
Soft corals belong to the order Alcyonacea. They are exemplified by sea fans and sea whips. These animals are flexible and soft-bodied. They can be found to inhabit darker and colder areas of the ocean. Sea fan corals are species of soft corals characterized by their fanlike form. Many of them belong to the genus Gorgonia.
An example of species of sea fans is Gorgonia flabellum. It is also known as the Venus sea fan or the common sea fan. It is a sessile colonial soft coral. It is a colonial coral composed of a lattice of branches in a single plane. Its branches are flattened at right angles to the plane of the fan. The fan is generally oriented perpendicular to the incoming waves. It is white, yellowish, or pale lavender in color. It can grow to a height of 1.5 m.1
Another sea fan species is the purple sea fan, Gorgonia ventalina. It is a colonial coral found in the western Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. It has several main branches and a latticework of linking smaller branches. It has a similar appearance to Gorgonia flabellum. While G. flabellum has flattened branches at right angles to the plane of the fan, G. ventalina has round or flattened branches that are parallel to the plane.
See also:

Reference(s):

1 Gorgonia flabellum. Retrieved from ://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gorgonia-flabellum.


You will also like...

Adaptive Radiation
Adaptive Radiation

The diversification of several new species from a recent ancestral source, each adapted to utilize or occupy a vacant ad..

"Opabinia regalis"
The Evolutionary Development of Multicellular Organisms

Multicellular organisms evolved. The first ones were likely in the form of sponges. Multicellularity led to the evolutio..

human respiratory system
Respiration

The human respiratory system is an efficient system of inspiring and expiring respiratory gases. This tutorial provides ..

Pollution in Freshwater Ecosystems
Pollution in Freshwater Ecosystems

There are many environmental factors that arise due to the usage of water in one way or another and for every action tha..

Flowers and tiny fruits of the pomegranate plant
Fruits, Flowers, and Seeds

This tutorial deals with the structure and function of flowers, fruits, and seeds. Also included here are the types of f..

Human Reproduction
Human Reproduction

Humans are capable of only one mode of reproduction, i.e. sexual reproduction. Haploid sex cells (gametes) are produced ..

Related Articles...

No related articles found

See all Related Topics