Hawaii Undersea Research Laboratory (HURL), Hawaii, USA
Info
For the first description of the tube coral, initially as Clavularia spiculicola Nutting, 1908, plumb bob depth data was collected in addition to water temperatures.
Specimens of this species were collected from depths of 68 meters, while much more recent research yielded water depths of up to 676 meters.
After revision, the tubular coral was assigned to the genus Telestula.
Telestula spiculicola is an azooxanthellate tubular coral that must feed at depth by capturing usable plankton and marine snow.
Colonies arise from stolons encrusting on large sponge spines, well-developed colonies may be a tangled mass of twisted zooids, and sometimes a ' fusion of outer walls occurs where two zooids touch.
Colonies of the coral have been found on fine, white or gray, and muddy bottoms.
Synonym: Clavularia spiculicola Nutting, 1908
Specimens of this species were collected from depths of 68 meters, while much more recent research yielded water depths of up to 676 meters.
After revision, the tubular coral was assigned to the genus Telestula.
Telestula spiculicola is an azooxanthellate tubular coral that must feed at depth by capturing usable plankton and marine snow.
Colonies arise from stolons encrusting on large sponge spines, well-developed colonies may be a tangled mass of twisted zooids, and sometimes a ' fusion of outer walls occurs where two zooids touch.
Colonies of the coral have been found on fine, white or gray, and muddy bottoms.
Synonym: Clavularia spiculicola Nutting, 1908
