White Encrusting Zoanthid

Description:

Photo take at -40 ft on a coral reef, small about 15 cm diameter . The colonies form thick, incrusting mats on dead corals and other hard substrates. The skeleton is hard, somewhat cork-like in consistency. The outer surface is covered with large, round calyces surrounded by a low, rounded ridge or lips. The fleshy polyps have short, stout, rounded, tentacles in two rings. Oral discs pushed against one another when fully expanded. Oral discs up to 1.3 cm in diameter.

Habitat:

Inhabit shallow reefs in areas with some water movement, down to 12 m. If the tentacles are retracted the colony forms a dome-like lump. Found from Florida all the Caribbean sea , Central America to north Brazil.