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ALEXANDRE MEINESZ

Ross coral

In Dive.Explo360: Mediterranean

On coralligenous reliefs, Ross coral forms broad orange fans resembling lace. Behind this fragile appearance lies a multitude of little animals filtering water and offering shelter to many inconspicuous species.

Habitat de Ross coral Habitat
Rocky habitat, Coralligenous habitat
Profondeur de Ross coral Depth
20-100 m
Groupe biologique de Ross coral Group
Bryozoan
Rôle écologique de Ross coral Role
Filter feeder

WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE?

Ross coral is a large colonial bryozoan, often mistakenly taken for a coral. It forms rigid, flat, wavy structures, orange to reddish in colour, pierced with numerous small openings. Each opening belongs to a tiny individual called a zooid. Together they resemble lace or an openwork leaf. The colony is solid but remains fragile and brittle.

WHERE DOES IT LIVE?

It lives attached to hard seabeds, particularly in coralligenous areas, generally between about twenty and one hundred metres deep. It grows in fairly clear water, often exposed to a current that brings the particles it feeds on.

WHAT DOES IT EAT?

Each zooid gathers food by filtering water through a crown of microscopic tentacles. It mainly feeds on plankton and suspended organic particles.

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Other species — Bryozoan

Calvet's Adeonella Neptune's Lace False Coral

Same habitat and depth

Rocky seabed species Coralligenous habitat species

Same ecological role and depth

Filter-feeding species

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