Bubblegum coral
Paragorgia arborea
- On view
- Into the Deep
- Animal type
- Invertebrates
- Ecosystem
- Deep sea
- Relatives
- Soft corals, sea pens, sea fans, and sea whips; Order: Alcyonacea
- Diet
- Organic matter
- Range
- Worldwide from 130 to 6,200 ft. (40–1,900 m)
- Size
- Can grow to be several meters tall
Meet the bubblegum coral
Corals in cold water are slow to grow and live a long time. A bubblegum coral can live for hundreds of years on the deep seafloor. What look like wads of bubblegum on this coral’s branches are bundles of tiny animals called polyps. Hundreds of these animals make up each coral.
Up next in deep sea
Animal
Sea toad
To save energy, this fish “walks” on large fins instead of swimming.
Keep exploring
Animal
Giant siphonophore
When startled, the giant siphonophore glows with bright blue light.