TAXONOMY
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Cnidaria
Class: Anthozoa
Order: Alcyonacea
Family; Alcyoniidae

Genus/species: Sarcophyton sp.

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS: This octocoral (soft coral) is the largest species in the genus reaching a height of 1 m (3 ft). It is also the largest species in the family Alcyoniidae. Colors vary among species: white, grey, yellowish-green, green. Colonies mushroom, funnel, or cup-shaped, often with a folded margin. Typically have a thick, rubbery appearance with tentacles that extend from the large, often convoluted upper surface. Main stalk, often visible, bears no polyps.

Leather coral25932701823_e4bf21f882_k

DISTRIBUTION/HABITAT: Leather Coral is found in the Indo-Pacific and Red Sea in tropical coral reefs in shallow water reef flats.

Leather Coral25930631984_0dde63aa15_o

DIET IN THE WILD: Microcarnivore of plankton and nutrition from algal photosynthesis.

Polyps retracted below

Leather coral29642268604_b9f76b741a_z

REPRODUCTION: Typically reproduces asexually by budding or fragmentation.

References

California Academy of Sciences Steinhart Aquarium Color on the Reef 4-14-16 AQA17

Aquarium Corals E H Borneman TFH Publications 2001 page 131-132

Animal Diversity Web animaldiversity.org/accounts/Sarcophyton/classification/

Ron’s WordPress Shortlink  http://wp.me/p1DZ4b-1KP

Ron’s flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/cas_docents/25932701823/in/album-72157659465376212/