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August 5, 2020: Octocoral

A close look at an octocoral, Metallogorgia, with its brittle star associate. This particular kind of coral is always seen with a brittle star in its branches. The brittle star is not parasitic, but instead is using its host (the coral) to get further up off the seafloor into the water column to feed or for protection. In turn, the brittle star may be providing benefits by keeping possible predators and parasites away from the coral.

Image courtesy of the NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, Mountains in the Deep: Exploring the Central Pacific Basin. Download larger version (jpg, 229 KB).

A close look at an octocoral, Metallogorgia, with its brittle star associate. This particular kind of coral is always seen with a brittle star in its branches. The brittle star is not parasitic, but instead is using its host (the coral) to get further up off the seafloor into the water column to feed or for protection. In turn, the brittle star may be providing benefits by keeping possible predators and parasites away from the coral.

To learn more about associates in the deep ocean, check out "We Go Together: Commensals and Parasites in the Deep Sea."