Clavularia sp. 1
©Anne Hoggett: Feathery polyps of Clavularia at the Turtle Group near Lizard Island. Each polyp is 10 to 15 mm in diameter.
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Cnidaria
Class
Anthozoa
Order
Malacalcyonacea
Family
Clavulariidae
Genus
Clavularia
Species
Clavularia sp. 1
Colours
Distinguishing features
Large, tall polyps, each with eight long tentacles with long soft pinnules giving a feathery and flowerlike appearance. The polyps retract slowly when touched. Colonies are encrusting and can form large, dense mats.
Size
- Size data has not been obtained.
Synonyms
Distribution
Distribution and habitat preferences
Fabricius and Alderslade (2001) note that Clavularia forms extensive mats on inshore areas of the Great Barrier Reef, favouring reef flats and other wave-exposed areas, whereas in areas with clearer water, it is uncommon and forms only small clumps. The genus is uncommon at Lizard Island and abundant at the Turtle Group which is about 13 nautical miles closer to the mainland.
Web resources
References
- Fabricius, K. and P. Alderslade (2001). Soft corals and sea fans: A comprehensive guide to the tropical shallow water genera of the central-west Pacific, the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea Australian Institute of Marine Science and Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Australia.