Sea Fan Forest

A yellow Venus sea fan (Gorgonia flabellum) waves in the current next to several colonies of the common purple sea fan (Gorgonia ventalina) in the water of Punta Soldado, Puerto Rico. Behind the Venus sea fan, a colony of sea plumes (Antillogorgia) peek through the fans. The rest of the structure is a dead Boulder star coral colony (Orbicella annularis) colonized by encrusting Ramicrusta algae and brown Dictyota algae.