Marine Wildlife Encyclopedia
White Sea Whip Junceella fragilis
Sea whips have a very similar structure to sea fans but grow up as a single tall stem. They have a very strong central supporting rod containing a lot of calcareous material as well as a flexible, horny material called gorgonin. The small polyps have eight tentacles and are placed all around the stem. White sea whips are often found in groups because they can reproduce asexually. As the whip enlarges, the fragile tip breaks off and drops onto the seabed, where it attaches and grows.
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- Class Anthozoa
- Height Up to 6 ft (2 m)
- Depth 15–165 ft (5–50 m)
- Habitat Coral reefs
- Distribution Southwestern Pacific
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