On the Orientation of Sea Fans (Genus Gorgonia)
Wainwright SA and Dillon JR. 1969. On the Orientation of Sea Fans (Genus Gorgonia). Biological Bulletin. 136:130-139
Sea fans (Gorgonia ventalina and G. flabellum) grow in patches at depths of 2 to 10 m on the seaward reefs of the Florida Keys. The sea fans in any particular patch appear to have a preferred orientation of their fan "blades". Theodor and Denizot (1965) have notes this phenomenon and concluded from the parallel orientation of algae and gorgonians that the orientation of all fan-shaped sessile organisms is perpendicular to wave motion and that it may result solely from hydrodynamic phenomena, We have asked the questions, "To what extent do sea fans on Florida reefs show preferred orientation?" and "What can be inferred from the morphology of the sea fan and from the habitat concerning the mechanism that brings about this orientation.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Wainwright, Stephen; Dillon, John
- Units
- SFCN
- Keywords
- Algae, Blades, Gorgonians, Morphology, Sessile Organisms