Sea Whip
Leptogorgia species
A flexible, branching soft coral in purple, orange or yellow, often washed ashore after storms.
- Typical size
- 6–24 in
- How often it turns up
- Common in drift
- Collecting
- Protected, do not collect
- Handling
- May be alive
Detached, dried sea whip is generally fine. Never cut living colonies — soft corals are protected in Florida waters.
How to tell it apart
- Whip-like branches with a rubbery texture
- Purple, orange, red or yellow
- Tiny pores where polyps sat
Found one?
Photograph it and BeachNut will rank the likely matches, then log it to your collection.
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