Description: Mature
colonies form thick, fleshy masses of irregular shape,
typically of stout, finger-like lobes that usually
exceed 20 mm in diameter. Young, developing colonies
form encrustations about 5 -10mm thick. Young grow
inside then crawl down to grow near the adult. As a
result you get aggregation.
The colour varies from white to dull orange with yellowish or brownish
colonies occurring occasionally; the polyps are translucent white. On
the west coast of Ireland almost all colonies are orange in colour.
Habitat: Attached to rocks, shells and stones where the otherwise dominant algae
are inhibited by a lack of light and occasionally on living crabs and
gastropods. Generally found in situations where strong water movement
prevails. Occasionally on the lower shore but more common sublittorally,
down to about 50 m.
Distribution: Common on all coasts
of Britain and Ireland and throughout the northeast
Atlantic, south to Portugal.
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Phylum: Cnidaria
Class: Octocorallia
Order: Alcyonacea
Family: Alcyoniidae
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Description: This feather star
has ten thin pinnate arms with side-branches like a
feather. There are about 25 short cirri arising around
the central plate on the underside of the disc which
curl under to anchor the animal to the substratum.
The cirri are banded and the arms usually pink or red
with white pinnules. The arm segments or brachials
are thickened at their outer edges giving a ridged
lower profile to the arm. Arms typically 5cm in length.
Habitat: Found in a variety of habitats
both sheltered and moderately exposed, attached to
rocks, algae, and sedentary animals. Antedon bifida
often occurs in large numbers and may dominate areas
of rock in suitable habitats.
It is free-moving but is usually found clinging by its cirri to the walls
of gullies and on seaweeds in areas of fast flowing water currents.
Distribution: Found on western and
north-eastern coasts of the British Isles. |
Phylum: Echinodermata
'Spiny skinned' animals e.g. starfish,
brittlestars, sea urchins & sea
cucumbers'
Class: Crinoidea 'Sea lilies and feather
stars '
Order: Comatulida
Family:
Antedonidae
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