| Aspect: | Looks like a single (no branches) barbed wire winding its way up into the water. The "barb" is in fact a dense pattern of radially deployed polyps along the central structure of this black coral. |
| Population: | Common, usually on the slopes of deep-plunging reefs. |
| Notable feature: | Looks dark overall, but under flashlight reveals a brown or orange stem form which a continuous stream of white polyps radially protrudes. |
| Environment: | Generally along reef slopes from 20 metres on. |
| Behaviour: | Polyps retract if accidentally touched. |
Last update: 22/10/15
Wire Coral
- French designation: Corail Fil de Fer
- Latin designation: Cirrhipathes leutkeni
- Creole designation: -
- Latin family: Anthipatharia
- Size (cm): 300+
View the embedded image gallery online at:
https://divepix.webdhb.com/index.php/en/animalia/cnidarians/black-corals/216#sigProIda3276cc065
https://divepix.webdhb.com/index.php/en/animalia/cnidarians/black-corals/216#sigProIda3276cc065