Corals

Dead Mans Finger Soft Coral (Alcyonium digitatum) - Grows fleshy lobes and fingers. Polyps look like small anemones that have 8 tentacles. Color white to pale orange. Size 4" to 8". Found in quiet waters on rocks and pilings, subtidally to 25'.

Red Branching Soft Coral (Bersemia rubiformis)- This branching coral is soft and fleshy, with thick pear-shaped clusters of lobes growing from one main stem. Except for the base, the stem is covered with red spicules. Color red to orange. Size 6" high, 3" wide.

Northern Stony Coral (Astrangia danae) - This is the only hard coral found in our waters. Colonies of up to 30 polyps with a circumference of 4 to 5". Polyp diameter is ¼ ". Color off white to pink, but can be translucent. Found on solid substrate subtidally to 130' from Cape Cod and points south.