SCUBA AFRICA

 

 

Picture of a Palmate sea fan

 

Palmate sea fan (Leptogorgia palma)

Gorgonians (sea fans) form tree-like colonies, often arranged like a fan. A stiff central rod of gorgonin (a horn-like protein), covered with small polyps, each with eight feathery tentacles, distinguishes them. Old skeletons, resembling miniature dead trees, often wash ashore.

IDENTIFICATION: Flattened central stem gives rise to lateral branches. White polyps adorn the bright -red colony, but can withdraw into slits.

SIZE: 2m tall: branches 3-10mm wide.

BIOLOGY: Forms fantastic underwater forests at 10 - 100 m. Grows only 15 mm per year; large colonies are over 100 years old and easily exterminated by souvenir-hunting divers. It is eaten by sponge crab and topshells.

Photograph by Aron de Gouveia

 

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Scuba Africa -
The New Harbour Hermanus

Aron de Gouveia
NAUI Instructor Trainer #10487
Cell : 083 731 8235

P.O. Box 417, Onrus, 7201, South Africa.
Tel / Fax: +27 (0)28 316 2362

Email: aron@scubaafrica.com



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This page was last updated on
13/03/
2010