Marine Wildlife Encyclopedia
Bushy Black Coral Antipathes pennacea
Bushy black coral grows as a plantlike colony with branches shaped like large bird feathers. There are many different species of black corals, and they get their name from the strong black skeleton that strengthens their branches. Made of a tough, horny material, the skeleton is valuable as it can be cut and polished to make jewelry, although the bushy black coral is not widely used for this purpose.
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- Class Anthozoa
- Height Up to 5 ft (1.5 m)
- Depth 15–1,100 ft (5–330 m)
- Habitat Coral reefs
- Distribution Tropical waters of Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean Sea, and western Atlantic
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