The stems and branches have a central skeleton or axis of a horny, more or less calcified substance. The axis is surrounded by gelatinous material, called the rind. Polyps are embedded in the rind and extend their eight tentacles and bodies from apertures.
The following taxa of this order occur in the region:
Briarium asbestinum (Corky sea finger)
Ellisella barbadensis (Devil's sea whip)
Erythropodium polyanthes (Incrusting gorgonian)
Eunicea calyculata (Warty Eunicea)
Eunicea fusca (Doughnut sea rod)
Eunicea tourneforti (Tournefort's Eunicea)
Gorgonia ventalina (Common sea fan)
Muricea elongata (Orange spiny sea rod)
Muricea muricata (Spiny sea fan)
Muricea pinnata (Long spine sea fan)
Muriceopsis flavida (Rough sea plume)
Plexaura flexuosa (Bent sea rod)
Plexaura homomalla (Black sea rod)
Plexaurella dichotoma (Double-forked Plexaurella)
Plexaurella grisea (Gray Plexaurella)
Plexaurella nutans (Giant slit-pore sea rod)
Pseudoplexaura flagellosa (Flagellate false Plexaura)
Pseudoplexaura porosa (Porous false Plexaura)
Pseudopterogorgia americana (Slimy sea plume)
Pseudopterogorgia bipinnata (Bipinnate sea plume)
Pseudopterogorgia spp. (Sea plumes)
Pterogorgia citrina (Yellow sea whip)
Pterogorgia guadalupensis (Grooved-blade sea whip)
Leptogorgia virgulata (Colorful sea whip)