Description: This tiny soft coral forms delicate, encrusting networks of polyps on slender stolons attached to rocks, shells and similar substrates. The expanded polyps are up to 20mm tall, translucent, and slightly brownish or pinkish in colour.

Habitat: Occurs on the lower shore and in the shallow sublittoral, 0-10m.

Distribution: This octocoral has only been recorded in Britain on one occasion, on the south coast of England. Being small and inconspicuous it is easily overlooked and may be more widespread in the British Isles. Common in the Mediterranean and also known from northern France.

Similar Species: This species can be distinguished from Sarcodictyon roseum by its slender stolons and relatively tall, very translucent polyps.

Key Identification Features:

• Solitary octocoral polyps on a stolon.
• Stolons slender and colourless with no sclerites.

Distribution Map from NBN: Cornularia cornucopiae at National Biodiversity Network mapping facility, data for UK.

iNaturalist: Cornularia cornucopiae at iNaturalist World Species Observations database.

WoRMS: Cornularia cornucopiae at World Register of Marine Species. Accepted name: Cornularia cornucopiae (Pallas, 1766). AphiaID: 125423.

Classification: Biota; Animalia; Cnidaria; Anthozoa; Octocorallia; Scleralcyonacea; Cornulariidae; Cornularia