Flabellum pavoninum
| Flabellum pavoninum | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Cnidaria |
| Subphylum: | Anthozoa |
| Class: | Hexacorallia |
| Order: | Scleractinia |
| Family: | Flabellidae |
| Genus: | Flabellum |
| Species: | F. pavoninum
|
| Binomial name | |
| Flabellum pavoninum Lesson, 1831 [1]
| |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
Flabellum pavoninum is a species of deep sea coral belonging to the family Flabellidae. It is found in the western Indo-Pacific Ocean at depths varying from 73 to 665 m (240 to 2,182 ft).[1] They are sometimes known as dentures of the sea because of the perceived resemblance of the corallum (skeleton) to a set of dentures.[2]
Biology
Flabellum pavoninum is an azooxanthellate species of coral; this means that its tissues do not contain photosynthetic algae and it gains its nutrition solely from what it can catch with its tentacles from the surrounding water.[1]
References
- ^ a b c d Cairns, Stephen (2010). "Flabellum (Flabellum) pavoninum Lesson, 1831". WoRMS. World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 31 August 2017.
- ^ "Solitary coral Flabellum pavoninum". ABC News. 12 April 2016. Retrieved 2 September 2017.