Violescent sea-whip
Paramuricea clavata
Special features
This beauty is undoubtedly the most attractive in the Mediterranean and can easily keep up with the corals in the tropical regions.
Appearance
It forms fan-shaped colonies that can reach up to 1in height. It grows upwards as a flat surface, irregularly but richly branched.
Her polyps are the ultimate eye-catcher; feathery and bright red to orange to yellow and up to 8mm in size.
Natural enemies
Fish
Dangerous/Venomous
The Violescent sea-whip is neither dangerous nor venomous.
Sketch
1. Colonies
2. Polyps
Pro tips
The Violescent sea-whip is endemic to the Mediterranean, meaning it occurs only there and nowhere else.
Their skeleton is made of gorgonin, which gives them their name “gorgonians.” Their skeleton is surrounded by soft bark, in which the polyps are embedded.
In turn, there are nettle capsules on the polyps, which they use to catch plankton. For this reason, dense colonies can be found in areas exposed to the flow, which orient their fans perpendicular to the flow.
It grows only 1-6mm per year and serves as a settlement base for numerous sessile organisms such as calcareous worms or hydrozoa.
Text: Carolina Leiter
Pic: Felician Hosp, Sabine Probst
Illustration: Dive Dict
