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| soft corals text index | photo index |
| Phylum Cnidaria > Class Anthozoa > Subclass Alcyonaria/Octocorallia > Order Alcyonacea |
| Broad
feathery soft coral awaiting identification* Family Xeniidae updated Feb 11 Where seen? Growing on small stones, this colony of tiny animals is often overlooked. However, they are commonly seen on many of our Southern shores. Near the mid-water mark, on rocky shores and among coral rubble. Features: Colony about 5-10cm in area. Only one kind of polyp (autozooids) emerging from a thin soft common membrane which can also be ribbon-like (stolons) although this is usually hidden under sand and sediment. Polyps 1cm in diameter, on stalks about 1-2cm long. The eight tentacles are broad and have many thick side branches (pinnules) arranged in 1 to 4 rows along both edges of each tentacle. Some have long tentacles, in others the tentacles are shorter. Polyps from beige, pink, pale powder blue to bright blue, the entire animal the same colour. The tiny polyps don't retract completely into the common tissue, and don't pulsate. Soft corals with this form include Anthelia and Sansibia of the Family Xeniidae. |
 St. John's Island, Aug 05  |
 Pulau Salu, Aug 10 |
 Polyps do not retract completely. |
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Broad feathery soft corals on Singapore shores
 Sisters Islands, Jan 07  |
 St. John's Island, Jun 07  |
 Sisters Islands, Jul 04  |
more photos of broad feathery soft corals on Singapore shores
part 1 | part 2 | part 3 | part 4 | part 5 | part 6
*Species are difficult to positively identify without close examination.
On this website, they are grouped by external features for convenience of display
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References
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Australian Institute of Marine Science and the Museum and
Art Gallery of the Northern Territoriy. 264 pp.|
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