Pink sea fan

Biology

The pink sea fan is related to the soft corals. They are formed of a colony of small polyps which may vary from deep pink to white in colour, and attach to the substrate with a broad base. Near its base branching occurs in one plane, and the whole fan is oriented at right angles to the prevailing current in order to maximise the efficiency of filter feeding. Their average height is 25 centimetres, but they can reach up to 50 centimetres.

Conservation

Pink sea fan colonies are extremely slow-growing and vulnerable to damage, for example from beam trawling, scallop dredging, and boat anchoring.

Curiosities

Pink sea fan colonies can live to be 50 years old.