Gorgonian with dandruff

Many of the small pinnate gorgonians in the Cayman Islands have these small white spots on them. The spots are there whether the polyps are extruded or not (as in the picture).

Here is a crop from the same shot showing more detail (I had a fisheye on!):

The white dots are about the same size as the eggs that gorgonians release when spawning - although I do not think that these are eggs. First they are stuck to the gorgonians - whereas the positively buoyant eggs tend to float away. And second when I touched the blobs they were sticky and mucusy. It is possible that they are eggs of another species? Maybe flamingo tongue? That is just a big guess though.

Maybe they are a disease? Or maybe just a natural/unnatural mucus secretion from the coral? I haven't noticed them before.

They only seem to be on this species of gorgonian.

Alex

p.s. To change the subject, I haven't seen any lionfish in Cayman, yet.

Alex .. did you see any basket stars on the Sea fan ?

seems like a lot of eggs for a tiny snail.

edit: never mind me i have seen basket stars release eggs into the water they don't lay them do they ?

oh and btw

I saw a Manta on Cheeseburger reef yesterday !!

my first ever Manta Ray underwater !!

I saw a Manta on Cheeseburger reef yesterday !!

my first ever Manta Ray underwater !!

Cool. But were you underwater?!

Alex

Yes I was in my semi submarine !

about 5 ft underwater !

and there is a school of what looks like juvenile goat fish, but no yellow colour to them, and when i say school i mean about 5000+ which i have never seen such a big group of things around here.

After searching about your white things for a bit .. it seems to me that snails lay capsules with egg clusters in them .. rather than this .. could it be a worm or flat worm or something or do they always do ribbons ?

check out this page Alex: http://www.aims.gov.au/pages/softcorals-se...s06-016018.html

Apparently only some gorgonians are broadcast spawners. the rest are internal or external brooders. External brooders retain the fertilized eggs in mucus coccons until they've developed to a certain stage at which point they're released. It seems likely that what you photographed is external brooding.

Wow, interesting. Thanks, Leslie.

Alex

And second when I touched the blobs they were sticky and mucusy.

Be careful Alex, the diving Buddhists might linch you for manipulation!