Callistephanus simplex is a marine octocoral species within the Gorgoniidae family, originally described by Nutting in 1909. This soft coral belongs to the phylum Cnidaria and class Anthozoa, characterized by its delicate colonial structure in marine environments.
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Ecology & Habitat
Habitat
Marine environments, likely found in tropical or subtropical ocean regions, typically inhabiting rocky substrates or coral reef ecosystems at moderate depths between 10-100 meters
Ecological Role
Contributes to marine biodiversity, provides habitat and shelter for small marine organisms, and plays a role in coral reef ecosystem structure and complexity
Morphology
SKIN COATSoft, flexible external tissue covering calcium carbonate skeletal elements
LIMBS WINGSBranching, tree-like growth pattern with multiple interconnected polyp clusters
HEAD SENSORYMultiple polyps with tentacular structures for feeding and environmental interaction
BODY STRUCTUREBranching colonial structure with flexible skeletal framework, typical of gorgonian corals, with polyps embedded in a calcified axial skeleton
Data Source: TaxonHub Database
Image Credit: https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.860.34317
