Bamboo sea fan
Isis hippuris
Where at Shedd?
Wonder of Water
| Diet | Plankton, free-floating organic matter |
|---|---|
| Size | Height: 11.8-15.7 inches (30-40 cm); width: 3.9-7.9 inches (10-20 cm) |
| Type | Corals & Anemones |
| Range | Indo-West Pacific |
| Habitat | Sheltered back reefs, clear lagoonal habitats |
About the Bamboo sea fan
Common near the coasts of India and Indonesia, the bamboo sea fan is a soft type of coral made up of hundreds of thousands of little sea-anemone-shaped creatures known as polyps.
Did you know?
Unlike hard corals, sea fans and other soft corals have a bendable, leathery skeleton that sways in ocean currents.
The polyps can retract, making the skeleton look either smooth or fuzzy.
Undisturbed colonies have been known to live for hundreds of years.
The bamboo sea fan can produce toxins that help protect them from predators and competing organisms.