Dykning med Piskekoraller

Piskekoraller vokser overalt i det sydlige Andamanhav, også i den klong (kanal), der adskiller Lanta Yai fra Lanta Noi. Du kan ikke gå glip af disse bløde koraller, når du dykker fra Koh Lanta.

Like the other soft corals, Ellisellidae is a family of whip corals which do not produce calcium carbonate skeletons. Instead, these corals have flexible skeletons made from a complex protein called gorgonin.

Ligesom de andre blødkoraller er Ellisellidae en familie af piskekoraller, som ikke producerer calciumkarbonatskeletter. I stedet har disse koraller fleksible skeletter lavet af et komplekst protein kaldet gorgonin.

2 arter fundet på denne side:

• Sea Whip Coral (Junceella fragilis)
• Lyre Sea Fan (Ctenocella pectinata)

Sea Whip Coral

(Junceella fragilis)

Sea whip coral colonies grow vertically, up to 2m in length and are unbranched, with their upper third twisted or bent. The unbranched main axis is heavily calcified. The colony stem is white to brownish, densely covered with small polyps and containing zooxanthellae, which are responsible for the nutrition of the colony.

These corals are found in reef areas exposed to strong currents in deeper water or reef flats, reef slopes and flat coral rock.

Junceella fragilis @ Koh Haa

The colonies reproduce asexually; the upper end of a colony is shed and grows into a new whip-like coral. This results in very dense fields of these corals where thousands of colonies settle very close together.

Sea Whip Coral @ Koh Haa

The bivalve Pteria brevialata and gobies on the genus Bryaninops are found living symbiotically together with these corals. Brittle stars often climb up on to these gorgonians to use their exposed position to collect food from the current.

Lyre Sea Fan

(Ctenocella pectinata)

Ctenocella pectinata @ Koh Phi Phi

The Lyre Sea Fan, Harp Sea Fan or Red Whip Coral, has a distinctive comb-like shape, with many parallel branches growing vertically upward from the main stems.

The branches are of variable length and resemble the teeth of a comb.

Lyre Sea Fan with vertical, comb-like branches

The main stem is a deep red to brownish colour, with numerous while polyps on the vertical secondary branches. When the polyps are retracted, they form small lumps on the otherwise smooth stem.

Lyre Sea Fan Coral polyps are white

Lyre Sea Fan corals can grow more than 1 metre in height, with secondary branches reaching 60 - 70 cm in length.

This soft coral is found in areas with mild to medium current, between 10 m and 30 m, often close to other species of whip corals and sea fans.

Dykning med Piskekoraller omkring Koh Lanta

Dykning og snorkelture

Hvis du gerne vil have chancen for at se Piskekoraller på en af vores daglige dykkerture i højsæsonen fra Koh Lanta, så send os en e-mail til info@diveandrelax.com.

Deltag i vores speedbådsdykkerture i højsæsonen til nogle af Thailands bedste dykkersteder og nyd små grupper, korte rejsetider med fokus på god personlig service, sikkerhed og sjov.

Er du endnu ikke certificeret dykker? Lær at dykke på Koh Lanta med det 3-dages SSI Open Water Diver-kursus.

Få mere at vide

Indo-Stillehavets havdyrsguider

• Allen, G., Steene, R., Humann, P., DeLoach, N. (2003) Reef Fish Identification, Tropical Pacific. Jacksonville, FL., USA: New World Publications, Inc., ISBN 1-878348-36-1.
• Humann, P., DeLoach, N., (2010) Reef Creature Identification, Tropical Pacific. Jacksonville, FL., USA: New World Publications Inc., ISBN 978-1-878348-44-9
• Debelius, H. (2013) Indian Ocean Reef Guide. Frankfurt, Germany: IKAN - Unterwasserarchiv, ISBN 978-3-939767-52-7.
• Debelius, H. (2004) Nudibranchs and Sea Snails, Indo-Pacific Field Guide. Frankfurt, Germany: IKAN - Unterwasserarchiv, ISBN 3-925919-51-1
• Erhardt, H., Knop, D. (2015) Corals Indo-Pacific Field Guide. Frankfurt, Germany: IKAN - Unterwasserarchiv, ISBN 3-925919-69-4.
• Veron J.E.N., Stafford-Smith M.G., Turak E. and DeVantier L.M. (2016). Corals of the World

Flere referencer om havets dyreliv og yderligere information