Phylum: Cnidaria

Class: Anthozoa

Subclass: Octocorallia

Order: Gorgonacea

 

Norwegian: hornkoraller

(Børsabergan - The Trondheim fjord / 36 meters / 8.14.2004)

The sea fans -Gorgonacea is one of four orders of the Octorallia class, identified by the eight tentacles. The two other orders represented here are the sea pens and the soft corals.

As the name indicate, these species form fan-shaped colonies. The fan is often positioned crosswise to the domination current, in order to maximize the water throughput and hence the food supply. The sea fans are popular resorts for Gorgonian heads, and small crustaceans like isopods.