Soft corals
The term 'soft corals' is broadly used and often includes sea fans, sea pens and sea whips although, unlike true soft corals, sea fans and sea whips have hard skeletons. They all belong to a subclass called Alcyonaria, which belongs to the same phylum (Cnidaria) as hard corals. In certain parts of the Malaysian seas, soft corals form the dominant group and, with their multi-hued colonies, make up the more visual elements of the coral reef. Many marine organisms depend on soft corals for their food and shelter.
- Information in the full article includes
- Diversity and geographical distribution
- Vertical distribution
