Whip fan
| Whip fan | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Cnidaria |
| Class: | Octocorallia |
| 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
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Eunicella albicans.