Pennatulacea

Devictor, Susan T. & Morton, Steve L., 2010, Identification guide to the shallow water (0 - 200 m) octocorals of the South Atlantic Bight 2599, Zootaxa 2599 (1), pp. 1-62 : 23

Order Pennatulacea

Pennatulaceans are octocorals with a oozooid modified to form a rachis bearing all secondary polyps (autozooids and siphonozooids), a barren stalk, and a peduncle for anchoring the colony in soft substrate (with a few rare exceptions [Alderslade, pers. comm.]). When present, the sclerites of pennatulaceans are in the form of simple rods, needles, plates, or egg-like ovals.

The Pennatulacea are poorly represented in the shallow SAB. Four species occur in this region but only two appear to be common.