Cnidaria
Leptogorgia virgulata
(Sea Whip)
1. In situ (Greg McFall)
2. Out of water (Steve Vives)
3. Out of water - Wing oyster, Pteria colymbus, is attached to Leptogorgia virgulata (Steve Vives)
Size
Colony height: 91cm (36") Branch diameter: 1cm (0.4")
Recognition Characters
Colonies form long, straight, stiff, moderately branched, whip-like stalks. Polyps are in multiple rows along two sides. Calyces do not protrude when polyps are retracted.
Color
Color is highly variable. Can be red, violet, purple, yellow, or orange. Polyps are translucent white.
Habitat & Depth
Attached to rocks and other hard substrates mixed with sand. Shallow intertidal to 40m.
Distribution at GRNMS
Occasional at GRNMS. More common on inshore reefs.
Geographic Range
New Jersey to Florida
Behavior & Notes
L. virgulata has many associated prey or commensal species. The wing oyster, Pteria colymbus, the seawhip barnacle, Conopea galeata, often grow on or attached to the branches of L. virgulata. Common prey species include the shrimp Neopontonides beaufortensis, a snail Simnialena uniplicata, and the slug, Tritonia wellsi.
Synonyms
Meinkoth 1981, Kaplan 1988, Humann 1992b