Phylum
Cnidaria, Class Anthozoa, Subclass Octocorallia
Octocorals,
Soft Corals, Gorgonians, & Sea Pens
| Octocorals have a variety of forms ranging from delicate mats to sea
fans & massive leather corals. They share a common trait in
having polyps with eight tentacles (hard corals have six).
Octocorals are most prolific in areas of high water flow where they
capture zooplankton with stinging cells. Identification of many
species is difficult beyond the genus or family level without
dissection. Hawaii has a relatively few species at diving depths
compared to other parts of the world. |
HAWAII - ENDEMIC
Sarcothelia
edmondsoni 
BLUE
SOFT CORAL
|
Melithaea bicolor
BICOLOR GORGONIAN
|
INDO-PACIFIC / HAWAII
|
Clavularia
sp.
BROWN SOFT CORAL
|
Carijoa riisei
SNOWFLAKE
CORAL
|
| Sinularia
densa
DENSE LEATHER CORAL
|
|
|
|
INDO-PACIFIC
| Sarcophyton
spp.
ELEPHANT-EAR or TOADSTOOL LEATHER CORAL
|
Xenia
spp.
XENIA |
| Tubipora
musica
ORGAN PIPE CORAL |
Briareum
violaceum
STAR POLYPS |
|
|
|
|
NORTHEAST PACIFIC
| Ptilosarcus guerneyi
SEA PEN
|
Stylatula
elongata
WHITE SEA PEN
|
| Clavularia
sp.
OCTOCORAL
|
Adelogorgia
phyllosclera
ORANGE GORGONIAN
|
| Muricea
fruticosa
BROWN GORGONIAN
|
Muricea
californica
GOLDEN GORGONIAN
|
| Lophogorgia
chilensis
RED GORGONIAN
|
Eugorgia
rubens
PURPLE GORGONIAN |
|
|
TROPICAL WESTERN ATLANTIC
| Gorgonia
ventalina
COMMON SEA FAN
|
Pseudopterogorgia
americana
SLIMY SEA PLUME
|
| Briareum
asbestinum
CORKY SEA FINGER
|
Plexaurella
spp.
SLIT-PORE SEA ROD |
| Eunicea mammosa
SWOLLEN-KNOB CANDELABRUM
|
Pseudopterogorgia
spp.
SEA PLUME |
|
|
|
|
