Milk Leather Coral

Appearance

This soft coral is mushroom-shaped with a thick foot, with a rather flat head, hollow center, with a slightly sinuous margin. Its color is light beige. The surface is covered with numerous small siphonozoid polyps and widely spaced autozoid polyps, more dispersed towards the center of the flower head. The autozo polyps are formed by a long tube with a termination of pinnate white tentacles. The analysis shows sclerites covered with warts, warty clubs, Size 15 -50 cm,

Distribution

Red Sea, Indian Ocean, Indo Pacific.

Habitat

It is found on coral reef. Depth, 10 - 20 m

Reproduction

The Anthozoa class is gonochoric or hermaphrodite. Male and female gametes, after fertilization, give rise to planktonic ciliated larvae (free swimming), before larval colonization of the substrate.

Food

It feeds on zooxanthellae algae that it harbors and on zooplankton.