DIVE-SEEK field image · species photo unavailableinvertebrate · soft coral
Soft coral
Dendronephthya spp.
Current-fed soft coral trees in vivid pink, red and orange that inflate to feed.
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Quick facts
The Soft coral (Dendronephthya spp.) is a marine species divers can encounter. Typical size: 30–100 cm. Usually seen at 5–35 m depth.
Summarised from DIVE-SEEK's recorded catalogue data; omitted values are not yet recorded.
Taxonomic rank
genus
Typical size
30–100 cm (height)
Maximum size
200 cm
Typical depth
5–35 m
Maximum depth
60 m
Conservation status
Research in progress
Photography difficulty
2 /5
Activity pattern
Feeds whenever current runs.
Description
Genus-level record covering the Dendronephthya soft corals that define destinations such as Fiji. Colour and volume peak with strong current and plankton. Conservation status not populated: it is not assessed at genus level.
Habitat
Current-swept walls, passes and pinnacles in the Indo-Pacific.
Behaviour
Inflates with water to feed in current and deflates to a limp bundle in slack water.
Diet
Plankton captured from passing current.
Social behaviour
Colonial, forming dense gardens.
Photography notes
Only photogenic when inflated, which means diving the current. Wide angle close-focus with strong foreground lighting.
Ask about Soft coral
Answers are built only from our cited catalogue records — where data is missing, the assistant says so instead of guessing.
Where to see it
Destinations
Encounter records link species to destinations only when a verified source supports them.
Research in progress
Verified encounter records for this species have not been published yet. Destination links appear here as each destination is researched.
Provenance — each verified claim is linked to its source as records are published.