The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species: 500
Soft corals, known as octocorals (Alcyonacea), are flexible marine animals commonly found on coral reefs. Unlike hard corals, they do not build rigid skeletons but rely on internal structures that allow them to sway with ocean currents. They often host symbiotic algae and feed on plankton, thriving in a variety of reef environments, from shallow waters to deeper slopes.