<div class="views-field views-field-field-product-summary tb" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium;"> <div class="field-content"> <p><strong>Alcyonacea</strong> is an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_(biology)" title="Order (biology)">order</a> of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sessility_(zoology)" title="Sessility (zoology)">sessile</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colony" title="Colony">colonial</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cnidaria" title="Cnidaria">cnidarians</a> found throughout the oceans of the world, especially in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropics" title="Tropics">tropics</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subtropics" title="Subtropics">subtropics</a>. The name "Gorgonacea" is no longer considered valid and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcyonacea" title="Alcyonacea">Alcyonacea</a> is now the accepted name for the order. Gorgonians are also known as <strong>sea whips</strong> or <strong>sea fans</strong> and are similar to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_pen" title="Sea pen">sea pen</a>, a soft coral. Gorgonians are closely related to coral. Individual tiny <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyp" title="Polyp">polyps</a> form colonies that are normally erect, flattened, branching, and reminiscent of a <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fan_(implement)" title="Fan (implement)">fan</a>. Others may be whiplike, bushy, or even encrusting. A colony can be several feet high and across but only a few inches thick. They may be brightly coloured, often purple, red, or yellow. Photosynthetic gorgonians can be successfully kept in captive <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reef_aquarium" title="Reef aquarium">reef aquariums</a>.</p> </div> </div> <p> </p>