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thorn coral

Stylocoeniella armata

Classification

Antipatharians, also known as black corals or thorn corals, are an order of soft deep-water corals. These corals can be recognized by their jet-black or dark brown chitin skeletons, which are surrounded by their colored polyps (part of coral that is alive). Antipatharians are a cosmopolitan order, existing in nearly every oceanic location and depth, with the sole exception of brackish waters.

Distribution

(c) Debra Baker, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC-BY
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Countries in the Picchu catalog
United States of America · 17France · 6