Photo by Greg McFall

Branched sea whips are members of the gorgonian family of corals. Their colonies lack the hard, rigid skeleton associated with other corals. The white polyps occur in multiple rows along 2 sides of each branch. Branch color is variable and may range from shades of purple, red, orange or yellow. The polyps living in the calcareous branches have eight feather-like tentacles to grab food out of the water surrounding them.

Branched Sea Whip
(Leptogorgia virgulata)

	From New York and the Chesapeake Bay to Florida and Brazil
	Rock and limestone ledges; depths of 10-60 feet
	Small plankton
The status of this species is representative of the populations within the waters of this Sanctuary only, not global populations.
	The branched sea whip's calcareous spicules and some deterrent chemicals are effective at keeping coral-eating fish at bay.
	- Smithsonian Marine Station at Fort Pierce - National Wildlife Federation