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Sea strawberry soft coral
Sponge & Cnidarian
Sea strawberry soft coral
Gersemia rubiformis (Ehrenberg, 1834)
WoRMS AphialID
156103
Sample IDs
HMSC174_01030 : https://bench.boldsystems.org/index.php/MAS_DataRetrieval_OpenSpecimen?selectedrecordid=ATCCN034-24. HMSC174_01065 https://bench.boldsystems.org/index.php/MAS_DataRetrieval_OpenSpecimen?selectedrecordid=ATCCN039-24; HMSC174_01753 https://bench.boldsystems.org/index.php/MAS_DataRetrieval_OpenSpecimen?selectedrecordid=ATCCN069-24
Collected
St Lawrence River, Quebec and Labrador.
Distinguishing Features
• Colonies form pink, erect structures with several branches off a central stalk. They are normally five to 15 centimetres high but can be up to 25 centimetres.
• When inflated, branches are thick, swollen, and semi-transparent.
• When disturbed, the colony contracts to form a tough cauliflower-like lump that is only a few centimetres high.
Habitat
Often found in rock and boulder habitats, as colonies need a hard substrate for attachment. Often found on small stones or shell fragments in high-current areas. Sublittoral, to depths greater than 2 000 m.
Geographic Range
Widespread, boreal-arctic species found in both Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. Present in almost all Arctic seas but also reported from as far south as California.
Fun Fact
Large aggregations of sea strawberries are known as strawberry grounds. They are an important habitat for lobsters and juvenile basket stars.
Barcode Distribution
BIN contains many species of Octocorals and Anthozoans.
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