Tracy and one of the beautiful outcroppings of Golden Yellow Dendronephthya soft coral at the "Mellow Yellow" dive site. Beautiful Dendronephthya soft corals display incredible color on Fijian coral reefs. They swell when the current is running and extend outward to capture passing plankton and food.
Species: Dendronephthya soft coral, Dendronephthya
Location: Vatu I Ra Passage, Bligh Waters, Viti Levu Island, Fiji
Image ID: 41025
Beautiful Dendronephthya soft corals display incredible color on Fijian coral reefs. Two crinoids (feather stars) cling to the top of the reef structure. Soft corals swell when the current is running and extend outward to capture passing plankton and food.
Species: Dendronephthya soft coral, Dendronephthya
Location: Namena Marine Reserve, Namena Island, Fiji
Image ID: 41028
Anthias fishes school in strong currents above hard and soft corals on a Fijian coral reef, Fiji.
Species: Anthias, Pseudanthias
Location: Bligh Waters, Fiji
Image ID: 34719
Anthias fishes school in strong currents above hard and soft corals on a Fijian coral reef, Fiji.
Species: Anthias, Pseudanthias
Location: Bligh Waters, Fiji
Image ID: 34721
Parasitic zoanthid anemones cover, encrust and overwhelm a golden gorgonian. The gorgonian on the left has been completely parasitized by zoanthid anemones, while the gorgonian to the right remains free of zoanthids (for now). A garibaldi swims below the two sea fans. The golden gorgonian is a filter-feeding temperate colonial species that lives on the rocky bottom at depths between 50 to 200 feet deep. Each individual polyp is a distinct animal, together they secrete calcium that forms the structure of the colony. Gorgonians are oriented at right angles to prevailing water currents to capture plankton drifting by.
Species: California golden gorgonian, Luminescent parazoanthid, Zoanthid anemone, Giant kelp, Muricea californica, Parazoanthus lucificum, Savalia lucifica, Macrocystis pyrifera
Location: San Clemente Island, California
Image ID: 38493
Red gorgonian on rocky reef, below kelp forest, underwater. The red gorgonian is a filter-feeding temperate colonial species that lives on the rocky bottom at depths between 50 to 200 feet deep. Gorgonians are typically oriented at right angles to prevailing water currents to capture plankton drifting by.
Species: Red gorgonian, Leptogorgia chilensis, Lophogorgia chilensis
Location: San Clemente Island, California
Image ID: 38496