Mat zoanthid
Zoanthus pulchellus
Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1860
Description:
These zoanthids grow in mat-like colonies. When the circular oral discs are fully expanded, they are often packed so tightly together that they become polygonal (Z. pulchellus close-up). The oral disc is up to 1.5 cm in diameter and bears two rows of stubby tentacles around the outer edge. If the tentacles retract, the colony forms a dome-shaped column (Z. pulchellus-closed polyps).
Color:
Colors and patterns vary, usually mottled in earth tones or greenish to bluish.
Habitat:
Inhabit reef tops, down to 20 m.
Distribution:
Common Bahamas and Caribbean.