About Eunicella cavolini (Koch, 1887)
Eunicella cavolini (Koch, 1887) is a heavily branched soft coral that grows to roughly 50 cm (20 in) in height. It forms a fan shape, with irregular cylindrical branches that mostly grow in a single plane. Its stem has an enlarged base that anchors it to a substrate, while its branches are smooth, short, and about 3 mm (0.12 in) thick. The coenenchyme, the thin fleshy layer that covers the coral's stiff skeleton, is yellowish-orange. The coral's polyps range from white to yellow, are about 2 mm (0.08 in) long, and are arranged in four rows. This species can be mistaken for the warty gorgonian (Eunicella verrucosa), but Eunicella verrucosa has rougher branches. It can also be confused with Leptogorgia sarmentosa, which has straighter, more slender branches and smaller polyps. Eunicella cavolini is common across the entire Mediterranean Sea. It mostly grows at depths between 10 and 30 m (33 and 98 ft), though it can be found as deep as 150 m (492 ft). It typically occurs in shallower water than the violescent sea-whip (Paramuricea clavata). It is often found growing alongside other soft corals, sponges, polychaete worms, bryozoans, barnacles, and winged oysters.
