About Eunicella verrucosa (Pallas, 1766)
Eunicella verrucosa has a densely branching, fan-shaped stem and typically grows in a single plane. It orients itself at right angles to the direction of water movement. This species can reach a height of 50 cm (20 in), though a size of 25 cm (10 in) is more common. Its stems and branches are covered in wart-like growths, from which the polyps protrude. Its colour ranges across red, pink, and white. Eunicella verrucosa is native to the northeastern Atlantic Ocean and the western Mediterranean Sea. Its distribution stretches from the southwestern coasts of Britain and Ireland, through France, Spain, and Italy, to the North African coasts of Algeria, Morocco, Western Sahara, and Mauritania. A recent genetic connectivity study of Eunicella verrucosa found clear population structure between samples collected from northwest Ireland, Britain, France, and southern Portugal. It grows on surfaces of rock, timber, metal, or concrete, and occurs at depths between 4 and 50 metres (13 to 164 ft). In British waters, this sea fan has become less abundant. It may have been damaged by dredging, but it could potentially benefit from rising seawater temperatures.
