Aspect: |
Usually a yellow or tan round-ish domed stucture of clearly separated septa, the top junctions of which form a distinct line all along the ridge they make. The goeometrical pattern of the smaller nascent colonies explains the alternative "Butterprint" designation.
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Population: |
Common. |
Notable feature: |
The vertical plates (or septa) are clearly separated. This is where the tentacles emerge from. Some of the close-ups below also show various stages of mouth openings. Under ultraviolet light (see combo picture below) the normally translucent tentacles clearly stand out.
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Environment: |
Often rests on sandy bottom or dead coral remains.
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Behaviour: |
Generally deploys its tentacles at night so profusely that it dramatically changes the overal aspect of the colony. This is also a time at which the "grilled" mouths become very visible. |