Whip fan
| whip fan | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Cnidaria |
| Class: | Anthozoa |
| Order: | Alcyonacea |
| Family: | Gorgoniidae |
| Genus: | Eunicella |
| Species: | E. albicans |
| Binomial name | |
| Eunicella albicans (Kolliker, 1865)[1] | |
The whip fan, Eunicella albicans, also called the flagellar sea fan, is a species of gorgonian sea fan in the family Gorgoniidae.
Description
This fan is orange and has flexible whip-like branches. It may grow up to 70 cm tall and have branches of 0.3 to 0.5 cm wide.[2][3]
Distribution
This sea fan is found only around the South African coast from the Atlantic side of the Cape Peninsula to Port Elizabeth in 10–30 m of water. It is endemic to this region.
Ecology
This sea fan is preyed upon by the whip fan nudibranch, Tritonia nilsodhneri, which closely resembles the feeding fan.
References
- ↑ http://marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=213054 accessed 25 July 2013
- ↑ 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
- ↑ 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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