Marine Mammals
Marine Invertebrate
Birds
Reptiles
Terrestrial Invertebrate
Flowers
Fish
Marine Flora
Terrestrial Mammals
Amphibians
Fungi- Lichen
Trees- ShrubsWhite Sea Fan ( Eunicella singularis )
The Flash Player and a browser with Javascript support are needed..
There are 36 other species within the genus Eunicella, but only 3 species (Eunicella singularis, E. cavolinii and E. verrucosa) are found within the Mediterranean Sea (1). Out of these 3 species, only E. verrucosa has been evaluated on the IUCN red list (2).
E. singularis is the most widely distributed and abundant sea fan in the Mediterranean and is commonly known as the white sea fan due to its colour (3). It has elongated branches that can grow up to 30cm in height and are covered in small polyps that are darker than the body due to the presence of symbiotic algae (4).
Gorgonians (soft corals with branching skeletons) are sessile organisms that have an important structural role in marine communities (5).
E. singularis reproduces annually and this occurs more than once in its life (3). It has been found that spawning occurs in spring after a marked increase in sea water temperature (6).
E. singularis can cover large areas in shallow waters but also at depths over 12m, usually attached to hard substrates (4).
E. singularis is distributed across the Mediterranean (7).
Studies have shown that gorgonians are able to feed on particulate matter but are rarely seen to feed on prey organisms (8). Another food source is provided by the polyps present in sea fans which are able to capture zooplankton (microscopic animals) (9).
Not evaluated under the IUCN Redlist (2)
Description written by Jennifer Lam (2009)
(1) WoRMS (2009) WoRMS Taxon List [online] Available:
http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxlist [date accessed: 27/07/2009]
(2) IUCN (2009) IUCN Red List of Threatened Species [online] Available:
http://www.iucnredlist.org [date accessed: 27/07/2009]
(3) Ribes, M., Coma, R., Rossi, S., Micheli, M. (2007). Cycle of gonadal development in Eunicella singularis (Cnidaria: Octocorrallia): trends in sexual reproduction in gorgonians. Invertebrate Biology, 126, 37-317.
(4) Wood, L. (2002) Sea fishes and invertebrates of the Mediterranean Sea, New Holland Publishers (UK) Ltd., London, p. 42
(5) Linares, C., Coma, C., Garrabou, R., Diaz, J., Zabala, M. (2008). Size distribution, density and isturbance in two Mediterranean gorgonians: Paramuricea clavata and Eunicella singularis. Journal of Applied Ecology, 45, 688-699.
(6) Gori, A., Linares, C., Rossi, S., Coma, R., Gili, J. (2007). Spatial variability in reproductive cycle of the gorgonians Paramuricea clavata and Eunicella singularis (Anthozoa, Octocorallia) in the Western Mediterranean Sea. Marine Biology, 151, 1571-1584.
(7) WoRMS (2009) WoRMS Taxon Details [online] Available: http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=125365 [date accessed: 29/07/2009]
(8) Ribes, M., Coma, R., Gili, J. (1998). Heterotrophic feeding by gorgonian corals with symbiotic zooxanthella. Limnology and Oceanography, 43, 1170-1179.
(9) Lasker, H.R. (1981). A comparison of the particulate feeding abilities of three species of gorgonian soft coral. Marine Ecology Progess Series, 5, 61-67.
