Corals & Other Invertebrates
Bubblegum Coral
Paragorgia arborea
ALSO KNOWN AS
DISTRIBUTION
Sub-polar to polar waters in the North Atlantic and North-eastern Pacific
ECOSYSTEM/HABITAT
Hard or soft sediment in areas with strong currents
FEEDING HABITS
Filter feeder
TAXONOMY
Class Anthozoa (corals, anemones & relatives); Order Alcyonacea (soft corals)
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Bubblegum corals are one of the largest coral species found in North America. They get their name from their appearance: they are often bright pink and the polyps at the end of their branches resemble wads of gum. These polyps are individual animals that make up the coral colony. The three-dimensional structure of bubblegum corals also provides important structural habitat for other sea creatures like northern shrimp. Bubblegum corals are cold, deep-water corals that rely on filter feeding. Each polyp has eight tentacles, which usually emerge at night to feed. The tentacles capture prey, such as plankton, that drift by in the ocean currents.