Sun-burst soft coral

The sun-burst soft coral (Malacacanthus capensis) is a species of colonial soft corals in the family Alcyoniidae.[2] It is the only species known in the genus Malacacanthus.

sun-burst soft coral
Sun-burst soft coral
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Cnidaria
Class: Anthozoa
Order: Alcyonacea
Family: Alcyoniidae
Genus: Malacacanthus
Thomson, 1910
Species:
M. capensis
Binomial name
Malacacanthus capensis
(Hickson, 1900)[1]

Description

Sun-burst soft corals grow up to 15 cm tall and consist of an orange column with a ball at its top. They are somewhat mushroom-shaped and when feeding have bright orange polyps radiating from the ball on striped transparent stalks.[3]

Distribution

This species is known from the Cape Peninsula to southern KwaZulu-Natal off the South African coast, and lives from 13-93m under water.

Ecology

When threatened the whole ball may withdraw into the top of the body column. In between the feeding polyps are tiny dot-like organs known as siphonozooids which are used to re-inflate the colony after it contracts.[3]

References
  1. http://marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=213058 accessed 18 July 2013
  2. Branch, G.M., Branch, M.L, Griffiths, C.L. and Beckley, L.E. 2010. Two Oceans: a guide to the marine life of southern Africa ISBN 978-1-77007-772-0
  3. Jones, Georgina. A field guide to the marine animals of the Cape Peninsula. SURG, Cape Town, 2008. ISBN 978-0-620-41639-9
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