Black corals are a separate group of corals outside the octocorals and hard corals. They produce a flexible proteinaceous black skeleton that is almost invisible when the animal is alive. This is a very large colony found at Target K. Black coral whip, glass sponge, and golden coral are visible to the right.
Black Coral
Image courtesy of the NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, INDEX-SATAL 2010. Download larger version (jpg, 1.2 MB).
Black corals are a separate group of corals outside the octocorals and hard corals. They produce a flexible proteinaceous black skeleton that is almost invisible when the animal is alive. This is a very large colony found at Target K. Black coral whip, glass sponge, and golden coral are visible to the right.
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