Weichkorallen im Aquarium des Zoo Zürich.

Soft corals

Alcyonacea

Unlike stony corals, soft corals do not have a solid calcareous skeleton. However, many species of soft coral have small calcareous spicules in their bodies, which give them a certain degree of rigidity.

NE

Red List
Not Evaluated

Soft corals come in a wide variety of colours and shapes. They include, amongst others, finger-shaped, lobed, crust-like, branched or tree-like forms. They are mostly brownish, greenish and yellowish, but they also come in red, orange or purple. Depending on the classification system, over 3,700 different species have been described.

Many species of soft coral live in a symbiotic relationship with algae. Both species are nourished through photosynthesis. However, some species of soft coral filter their diet from the water. As they do not rely on sunlight, these species of soft coral are able to be found at greater depths than, for example, stony corals.

Taxonomy

Anthozoa, Soft corals (Alcyonacea, over 3,700 species)

Habitat

Found in all the world’s oceans. Common in shallow-water inner reefs; tolerant of fluctuations in temperature and salinity. There are also species found in the deep sea and the Antarctic Ocean.

Behaviour and ecology

in colonies comprising thousands of individual polyps

Social structure

branched, tree-like, crusty, finger-like, no skeleton, can contract

Taxonomy

Anthozoa, Soft corals (Alcyonacea, over 3,700 species)

Habitat

Found in all the world’s oceans. Common in shallow-water inner reefs; tolerant of fluctuations in temperature and salinity. There are also species found in the deep sea and the Antarctic Ocean.

Behaviour and ecology

in colonies comprising thousands of individual polyps

Social structure

branched, tree-like, crusty, finger-like, no skeleton, can contract

Back to overview