Prof. Dr. Stefano Schiaparelli, Italien
Info
Clavularia frankliniana is a species of soft coral in the family Clavulariidae. Its polyps reach a height of only 1-2 cm, and it is found only in the southern Atlantic and in the cold waters of the Antarctic.
The soft coral has two predators in the cold waters, the nudibranchs Tritoniella belli Eliot, 1907 and Notaeolidia gigas, Eliot 1905.
To avoid falling completely prey to the voracious snails, the coral uses chemical defense mechanisms.
Etymology: The species name “frankliniana” refers to the coral's first discovery site around Franklin Island in the Antarctic.
Our special thanks for the first photo go to Prof. Dr. Stefano Schiaparelli, Italy.
Synonyms:
Pachyclavularia cylindrica var. frankliniana (Roule, 1902) · unaccepted > superseded combination
Clavularia frankliniana (Roule, 1902)
The soft coral has two predators in the cold waters, the nudibranchs Tritoniella belli Eliot, 1907 and Notaeolidia gigas, Eliot 1905.
To avoid falling completely prey to the voracious snails, the coral uses chemical defense mechanisms.
Etymology: The species name “frankliniana” refers to the coral's first discovery site around Franklin Island in the Antarctic.
Our special thanks for the first photo go to Prof. Dr. Stefano Schiaparelli, Italy.
Synonyms:
Pachyclavularia cylindrica var. frankliniana (Roule, 1902) · unaccepted > superseded combination
Clavularia frankliniana (Roule, 1902)
