Black coral  (Antipathella aperta)

Description

The Antipathella corals belong to the group of black corals (those in the order Antipatharia), named after their dark brown or black skeletons (2). There are five species in the Antipathella group, all of which form branched structures (3) (4). Each polyp measures 0.5 to 1 millimetre across (5), and typically bears six simple tentacles arranged around a slit-like mouth (2). The skeleton is covered with a thin layer of pale, living tissue, which connects all the individual polyps (2), and the entire colony is covered with small protuberances (4) (5).

left