Pink Sea Fingers

Cnidarian

Identification & Biology

• IdentificationA soft coral forming small, finger-like or lumpy lobes growing from a common base. White to pale pink, with tiny translucent polyps that extend when feeding. Similar to Alcyonium acaule but paler and typically smaller.
• SizeColony height up to 15 cm.
• Social HabitColonial. Found in groups on shaded surfaces. Polyps extend to feed, mostly at night.
• HabitatShaded rocky walls, cave entrances, and overhangs.
• Depth15 to 100 m. Most common on deeper, shaded reefs.
• Feeds OnPlankton and suspended organic particles captured by extended polyps.
• DistributionEastern Atlantic and western Mediterranean. Present in Maltese waters.
• DescriptionAlcyonium hibernicum is a pale soft coral found on deeper, shaded walls in Malta. It is less commonly seen than the orange Alcyonium acaule and is typically smaller and paler. The two species can sometimes be found on the same wall, providing a useful colour contrast for identification. Like its relative, it is slow-growing and sensitive to physical disturbance.