A benthic 'blossom'
It's lucky this florid and seemingly fluorescent organism carries the nickname 'carnation coral,' because its more proper name is quite a mouthful. The deep sea-dwelling dendronephthya is a kind of soft coral, which is exactly what it sounds like, in contrast with its rigid, reef-forming cousins. Both soft and stony corals are colonies of tiny polyps—the 'blossoms' on the carnation coral. This reveals their kinship with jellyfish, which begin life in a polyp stage.
It's lucky this florid and seemingly fluorescent organism carries the nickname 'carnation coral,' because its more proper name is quite a mouthful. The deep sea-dwelling dendronephthya is a kind of soft coral, which is exactly what it sounds like, in contrast with its rigid, reef-forming cousins. Both soft and stony corals are colonies of tiny polyps—the 'blossoms' on the carnation coral. This reveals their kinship with jellyfish, which begin life in a polyp stage.
This benthic beauty is actually a colony organism made up of numerous polyps.
© Giordano Cipriani / The Image Bank / Getty Images 2026-06-15 11:34:59 :