Sea Whip
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Sea whips are several genera of corals of the order Gorgonacea, characterized by long, whiplike growth [1]. The whip is a colony of tentacled polyps growing one upon one another in a continuous single stem. Spicule needles of lime are embedded in the polyp which provides firm, flexible support for the whip [1].



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Sea whips differ from sea pens in that the sea whip polyps come directly off the center stalk, whereas sea pen polyps are on branches from the central stalk.



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Sea cucumbers perched on a sea whip.

This is a symbiotic relationship called commensalism, wherein one species obtains food, shelter, support, locomotion, or another benefit from the other, without harming or benefiting it. The sea cucumbers are using the whip for support to feed higher up in the water column, where they feed off particles and organisms drifting in the current



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Could be Callozostron sp.



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1: Encyclopedia Britannica at http://www.eb.com; Taxonomic Overview: Fauna der Antarktis. J Sieg & JW Wagele, eds. Berlin : P. Parey, 1990; Callozostron / Primnoella / Convexella: Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 109(1):150- 203, 1996; Armadillogorgia / Tokoprymno / Aglaoprimnoa: Bulletin of Marine Science 58(2):511-530, 1996

Identification assistance would be appreciated.

Text ©Peter Brueggeman. Photographs ©Norbert Wu, Jim Mastro, & Canadian Museum of Nature (Kathleen Conlan). Photographs may not be used in any form without the express written permission of Norbert Wu, Jim Mastro, & Canadian Museum of Nature (Kathleen Conlan). Norbert Wu no longer grants permission for uncompensated use of his photos under any circumstances whatsoever; want more info?