Name: Tree coral
Scientific Name: Nephthea sp.
Family: Nephtheidae
Group: Anemones, corals and jellyfish
Class: Invertebrates
Size: 11-25 cm.
This is a soft coral, which means that, unlike hard corals, it has no internal calcium carbonate skeleton. This substance is found as small calcareous plaques, named sclerites, present in the coral's tissue. Just like the name suggests, this animal looks like a tree, with numerous branches spraying outwards from a main trunk. Some of the polyps have additional layers of sclerites and therefore do not have the ability to retract. This species is abundant in shallow areas of the reef, mostly if they're slightly slanted.
