Identification:
Colonies are fan-shaped, with few branches arranged on a single plane and interconnected. Branch tips are slightly enlarged and short. Polyps are 2-3mm tall, typically located on the front surface, and densely clustered at the branch tips. The coenosteum (skeletal structure) is thick, hard, and smooth. Sclerites (skeletal elements) are hexagonal, heptagonal, or octagonal, or have a compound petal-like shape, with a diameter of 0.09mm. Sclerites within the polyps are smaller and have 6 or 8 sides. The axial skeleton exhibits faint striations, ranging in color from yellowish to reddish, or milky white with a slightly reddish and narrow core.
Biology and Ecology:
This species is long-lived with a very slow growth rate. It is found attached to hard substrates in deep-water environments. It is a heterotrophic gorgonian coral, lacking symbiotic algae (zooxanthellae), and thus does not require sunlight.
Distribution:
- Within Vietnam: Deep-water areas of the central coast and the Truong Sa (Spratly) Islands.
- Global: Indo-Pacific region.
Value:
The skeletal structure has high rigidity and attractive red coloration, making it suitable for high-end handicrafts.
Conservation Status:
Subject to indiscriminate harvesting via trawling nets. Often, only fragments of the specimens are collected, with the majority remaining on the deep-sea floor. The population is declining, and encounters are becoming increasingly rare.
IUCN Red List Category:
Data Deficient (DD).
Conservation Measures:
Included in the Vietnam Red Data Book (1992, 2000). Further research is needed to determine distribution, abundance, and biological characteristics to provide a basis for sustainable harvesting and the development of a sustainable resource.