Flabellum pavoninum is a species of deep sea coral belonging to the family Flabellidae. It is found in the western Indo-Pacific Ocean at depths varying from 73 to 665 m (240 to 2,182 ft).[1] They are sometimes known as dentures of the sea because of the perceived resemblance of the corallum (skeleton) to a set of dentures.[2]

Flabellum pavoninum
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Cnidaria
Class: Hexacorallia
Order: Scleractinia
Family: Flabellidae
Genus: Flabellum
Species:
F. pavoninum
Binomial name
Flabellum pavoninum
Lesson, 1831 [1]
Synonyms[1]
  • Flabellum distinctum Milne Edwards & Haime, 1848

Biology

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Flabellum pavoninum is an azooxanthellate species of coral; this means that its tissues do not contain photosynthetic algae and it gains its nutrition solely from what it can catch with its tentacles from the surrounding water.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Cairns, Stephen (2010). "Flabellum (Flabellum) pavoninum Lesson, 1831". WoRMS. World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 31 August 2017.
  2. ^ "Solitary coral Flabellum pavoninum". ABC News. 12 April 2016. Retrieved 2 September 2017.