Plumapathes pennacea facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Plumapathes pennacea |
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Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Cnidaria |
| Class: | Anthozoa |
| Order: | Antipatharia |
| Family: | Myriopathidae |
| Genus: | Plumapathes |
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P. pennacea
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| Binomial name | |
| Plumapathes pennacea (Pallas, 1766)
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Plumapathes pennacea is a type of black coral. It lives in warm parts of the Indian Ocean, Pacific Ocean, and Atlantic Ocean. You can find it deep in the ocean, where it is part of a lively underwater community.
About This Coral
Black corals get their name because their main skeleton is a dark brownish-black. This skeleton is made of a special material called "antipathin," which is a bit like keratin (the stuff in your hair and nails!).
This coral grows in a bushy, flat shape. It has a strong base, called a holdfast, that anchors it firmly to a rock. It can grow up to about 1.5 meters (5 feet) tall and just as wide. Its thin branches split off and then divide into smaller, feather-like parts called pinnules. These pinnules are only a few centimeters long and grow close together.
The tiny living parts of the coral, called polyps, are usually golden brown, brown, or blackish. The polyps on the pinnules are often lighter in color. The polyps can make the coral's main stem look dark red. Their size and shape can change across the coral colony. Each polyp has six tentacles that do not pull back and are not branched.
Where It Lives
Plumapathes pennacea is found in the tropical areas of the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic Oceans. It can live as deep as 330 meters (1,083 feet). However, it is most common in shallower waters, between 25 and 60 meters (82 to 197 feet) deep. You can also find it in caves and under dark overhangs where it's not as bright. It lives in the Caribbean Sea, the Bahamas, and southern Florida.
Coral Life and Friends
Many other creatures live on or near this coral. Things like Algae, hydroids, and bryozoans can grow on its branches. Several kinds of shrimps, stalked barnacles, molluscs, and fish also hang out with it. Many of these animals have a special relationship with the coral, called symbiosis. Some hide among the branches, while others might eat the coral's polyps. The living tissue of the coral can even grow over the surface of a type of barnacle called the black coral barnacle (Oxynaspis gracilis). Black corals grow very slowly, and this type of coral can live for thirty years or even longer!
