Soft coral, Black Coral, or Bryozoa??

Anyone know what this stuff is?

Found in the Tuamotu Archipelago of French Polynesia at about 40' (13m) of depth

Thanks

Mike

Tis a Grouper......

Looks like a soft coral(gargonian) but hard to say from that picture. Can you post a crop that shows more of the "polyp" structure.

That was quick! Yep, knew i was leaving myself open to the grouper comment

Heres a crop

Maybe a hydrozoan, sertularia

IndoPacific Coral Reef Field Guide - page 51, bottom right hand corner

Looks like a hydrozoan to me, but I've never seed hydros so prolific. It does remind me of black coral to some degree but I think it's a hydrozoan of some sort.

Joe

Yes, now that you post the close up it is easyer.

If it were soft coral (gargonian), the poilps would point perpendicular to the branch.

The polips dont remind me of Black coral at all.

So I would go with Hydroid... I dont have any Hydroid ID books so I cant help with a futher ID.

Hi Mike,

The closest I can get is what looks like a Eudendrium sp. in Coral Reef Animals, but can't be sure.....

Marli

Hey Mike, when it comes to this kind of stuff anybody's guess is as good as mine. I'm with Paul, Joe, & William in thinking it's some kind of hydrozoan. What I can do is download the images (if you don't mind) and send them to a colleague who actually works with 'droids for his opinion.

cheers, L

Thanks everybody for the quick replies. Thats what i love about this place, everyone chips in to help.

I don't mind you showing them to a colleague Leslie, thanks for the extra effort.

Mike