Chris Newbert / Fan Coral (Melithaea sp) group and Feather Star (Oxycomanthus bennetti), Solomon Islands

Chris Newbert / Feather Star (Colobometra perspinosa) on Sea Fan (Melithaea sp) and Leather Coral (Sarcophyton sp) 70 Feet Deep, Solomon Islands

Fred Bavendam / Basslet (Pseudanthias sp) school, swimming near a Sea Fan (Melithaea sp) and a Blue Sea Star (Linckia laevigata)

Pascal Kobeh / Diver on a coral reef behind bloodred seafans / gorgonians (Melithaea sp. / Subergorgia sp.) New Caledonia, Pacific Ocean.

Pascal Kobeh / Diver on a coral reef behind Blood red sea fans / gorgonians (Melithaea sp. / Subergorgia sp.) New Caledonia, Pacific Ocean

Alex Mustard / Convict blennies (Pholidichthys leucotaenia) swim across a coral reef with seafan (Melithaea sp.) behind. Misool, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia. Misool Marine Protected Area. Ceram Sea. Tropical W...

Alex Mustard / Large reef scene on the current exposed face of a coral reef, with seafans (Melithaea sp.), soft corals (Dendronephthya spp.), sponges, coral grouper (Cephalopholis miniata), anthias, damselfish and m...

Alex Mustard / Red sea fan (Melithaea sp.) growing beneath an island (Nudi Rock), with sun rays and trees. Misool, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia. Ceram Sea. Tropical West Pacific Ocean.

Georgette Douwma / Gorgonian sea fan (Melithaea sp.) with Lyretail anthias (Pseudanthias sqamipinnis). Similan Islands, Andaman Sea, Thailand

Georgette Douwma / Kaleidoscopic image of Gorgonian sea fan (Melithaea sp.) Similan Islands, Andaman Sea, Thailand.

Alex Mustard / Yellow and orange seafan (Melithaea sp.) growing on a coral reef. Ulong, Rock Islands, Palau, Mirconesia. Tropical west Pacific Ocean

Franco Banfi / Crinoid or feather star on a sea fan (Melithaea sp) Tubbataha Reef Natural Park, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Sulu Sea, Cagayancillo, Palawan, Philippines

Alex Mustard / Red seafan (Melithaea sp) South Atoll, Tubbataha Atolls, Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park, Palawan, Philippines. Sulu Sea.

Alex Mustard / Abstract view of Seafan (Melithaea sp.). Ra Province, Viti Levu, Fiji. Nananu Passage, Vatu-i-Ra Passage, Bligh Waters, Tropical South Pacific Ocean.

Alex Mustard / Seafan (Melithaea sp.) grows below an overhang in the shade of sunbeams. Daram Islands, Misool, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia. Ceram Sea.

Alex Mustard / Coral demoiselle (Neopomacentrus violascens) shoal throng around a colourful seafan (Melithaea sp.) on a coral reef. Two Tree Rock, Balbulol, Misool, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia. Ceram Sea.

Alex Mustard / Seafans (Melithaea sp.) and soft corals (Sarcophyton sp.) make up a colourful coral reef scene. Vatu-i-Ra Passage, Ra Province, Viti Levu, Fiji. Bligh Waters, tropical Pacific Ocean

Georgette Douwma / Pygmy sweepers (Parapriacanthus ransonetti) with a Gorgonian sea fan (Melithaea sp.) and soft corals (Dendronephthya sp) Similan Islands, Andaman Sea, Thailand.

Georgette Douwma / Gorgonian sea fan (Melithaea sp.) with Lyretail anthias (Pseudanthias squamipinnis) Similan Islands, Andaman Sea, Thailand.

Georgette Douwma / Gorgonian sea fan (Melithaea sp.) with two Golden damsels (Amblyglyphidodon aureus) Similan Islands, Andaman Sea, Thailand.

Georgette Douwma / Gorgonian sea fan (Melithaea sp.) and soft coral (Dendronephthya sp.) Andaman Sea, Thailand.

Georgette Douwma / Gorgonian sea fan (Melithaea sp.) with Lyretail anthias (Pseudanthias sqamipinnis) Similan Islands, Andaman Sea, Thailand.

Georgette Douwma / Gorgonian sea fans (Melithaea sp.) with a large school of Pygmy sweepers (Parapriacanthus ransonetti) Andaman Sea, Thailand.

Georgette Douwma / Gorgonian sea fans (Melithaea sp.) with a large school of Pygmy sweepers (Parapriacanthus ransonetti) Andaman Sea, Thailand.

Georgette Douwma / Pygmy sweepers (Parapriacanthus ransonetti) with a Gorgonian sea fan (Melithaea sp.) Similan Islands, Andaman Sea, Thailand.

Georgette Douwma / Pair of Redtail butterflyfish (Chaetodon collare) with a Gorgonian sea fan (Melithaea sp.) Andaman Sea, Thailand.

Georgette Douwma / Pair of Redtail butterflyfish (Chaetodon collare) with a Gorgonian sea fan (Melithaea sp.) Andaman Sea, Thailand.

Georgette Douwma / Gorgonian sea fan (Melithaea sp.) and Soft corals (Dendronephthya sp.) with a large school of Pygmy sweepers (Parapriacanthus ransonetti) Andaman Sea, Thailand.

Franco Banfi / Large sea fan (Melithaea sp) Menjangan Island, Bali Island, Indonesia, Pacific Ocean

Franco Banfi / Scuba diver and Large sea fan (Melithaea sp) Menjangan Island, Bali Island, Indonesia, Pacific Ocean. September 2006.

Alex Mustard / Red sea fan (Melithaea sp.) growing beneath the overhang of an island. Andiamo, Daram Islands, Misool, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia. Pacific Ocean.

Alex Mustard / Seafan (Melithaea sp.) growing below crashing surf. Andiamo, Daram Islands, Misool, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia. Ceram Sea, Pacific Ocean.

Alex Mustard / Stripehead dwarfgoby (Trimma striata) on a seafan (Melithaea sp.). Daram Islands, Misool, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia. Ceram Sea, Pacific Ocean.

Alex Mustard / Giant seafans (Melithaea sp.) growing on the wall of a channel between islands, with Glassfish (Ambassidae) Gorgonian Passage, Wayil Batan, Misool, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia. Ceram Sea.

Alex Mustard / Red sea fan (Melithaea sp.) on a coral reef wall. Nudi Rock, Fiabacet Islands, Misool, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia.

Pascal Kobeh / Gorgonian or sea fan (Melithaea sp), New Caledonia, Pacific Ocean.

Alex Mustard / Thriving reef scene, with Seafans (Melithaea sp.) and reef fish. Boo West, Misool, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia. Ceram Sea.

Alex Mustard / Clown triggerfish (Balistoides conspicillum) between pair of Seafans (Melithaea sp.) Fiabacet Islands, Misool, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia. Ceram Sea.

Franco Banfi / Rich reef with sea fan (Melithaea) and soft coral (Dendronephthya sp) , Raja Ampat, Irian Jaya, West Papua, Indonesia, Pacific Ocean

Ingo Arndt / Fan Coral (Euplexaura sp) from Vanuatu, Senckenberg Museum, Frankfurt, Germany

Chris Newbert / Soft Coral (Dendronephthya sp) and Soft Coral (Melithaea sp) reef, Indonesia

Chris Newbert / Sea Fan (Melithaea sp) group on Disc Coral (Turbinaria reniformis), Indonesia

Chris Newbert / Soft Coral (Dendronephthya sp) and Sea Fan (Melithaea sp) on mangrove root, Indonesia

Constantinos Petrinos / Large Sea fan corals {Melithaea sp} Solomon Is, Pacific

Birgitte Wilms / Trumpetfish (Aulostomus sp) on Sea Fan (Melithaea sp), 60 feet deep, Solomon Islands

Chris Newbert / Sea Fan (Melithaea sp) and Squirrelfish (Sargocentron) 60 feet deep, Solomon Islands

Chris Newbert / Sea Fan (Melithaea sp) and Basslet (Pseudanthias sp) 80 feet deep, Solomon Islands

Chris Newbert / Sea Fan (Melithaea sp) 70 feet deep, Papua New Guinea

Chris Newbert / Sea Fan (Melithaea sp) small Sea Fan (Subergorgia sp) and Fusiliers on a coral reef, 50 feet deep, Papua New Guinea

Birgitte Wilms / Sea Fan (Melithaea sp) Sea Fan (Acabaria sp) Sea Whips (Ctenocella ellisella sp) and Golden Damselfish (Amblyglyphidodon aureus) 100 feet deep, Solomon Islands

Chris Newbert / Sea Fan (Melithaea sp) on coral reef, 50 feet deep, Solomon Islands

Birgitte Wilms / Seahorse (Hippocampus sp) on Sea Fan (Melithaea sp) 40 feet deep, Solomon Islands

Chris Newbert / Reef scenic with Sea Fans (Melithaea sp) and Fusiliers (Caesio sp) 70 feet deep, Solomon Islands

Chris Newbert / Soft Coral (Dendronephthya sp) in front of Sea Fans (Melithaea sp) 50 feet deep, Solomon Islands

Chris Newbert / Seahorse (Hippocampus sp) pregnant male on Sea Fan (Melithaea sp) 50 feet deep, Solomon Islands

Chris Newbert / Sea Fan (Melithaea sp) detail of curled arms, Great Barrier Reef, Australia

Chris Newbert / Anthozoan (Melithaea sp) on coral, Palau

Chris Newbert / Sea Fan (Melithaea sp) on coral reef, Palau

Chris Newbert / Soft Coral (Melithaea squamata) detail, Palau

Chris Newbert / Soft Coral (Dendronephthya sp) Sea Fan (Melithaea sp) and schooling reef fish, Papua New Guinea

Chris Newbert / Gilded Pipefish (Corythoichthys schultzi) in Gorgonian Sea Fan (Melithaea sp), Palau

Chris Newbert / Sea Fan (Melithaea sp) group and Soft Corals (Dendronephthya sp) and fish, 50 feet deep, Solomon Islands

Birgitte Wilms / Sponge (Psammoclemma sp) in front of Sea Fan (Melithaea sp) and reef fishes, 110 feet deep, Solomon Islands

Chris Newbert / Common Lionfish (Pterois volitans) group surrounded by Sea Fans (Melithaea sp) 60 feet deep, Solomon Islands

Fred Bavendam / Diver photographing a Coral Bommie adorned with Crinoids and Gorgonian Sea Fans (Melithaea sp), Menjangan Island, Bali, Indonesia

Fred Bavendam / Fish feeding in the water above a Sea Fan (Melithaea sp) and a Feather Star (Oxycomanthus bennetti), Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea

Jeff Rotman / Knotty gorgonian coral {Melithaea sp} Palau Is, Micronesia

Jeff Rotman / Yellowstriped anthias fish {Anthias tuka} and gorgonian coral {Melithaea sp} Papua New Guinea

Jeff Rotman / Gorgonia coral {Melithaea sp} with red sponge {Latrunculia corticata} Red Sea

Gary Bell/ Oceanwide / Scuba diver with gorgonian fan coral, Solomon Islands

David Fleetham / Branching lace coral (Stylaster sp.) and sea fan (Melithaea sp) form a colourful background for this Spotted seahorse (Hippocamopus kuda), Indonesia.

Norbert Wu / Fan Coral (Melithaea sp) in reef, Papua New Guinea

Norbert Wu / Fan Coral (Melithaea sp) in reef, Papua New Guinea

Roberto Rinaldi / Detail of Gorgonian sea fan (Melithaea sp), Papua New Guinea, Oceania

Alex Mustard / Red sea fan (Melithaea sp.) is surrounded by Glassfish ( Apogon sp.) on a coral reef. Daram Islands, Misool, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia. Ceram Sea. Tropical West Pacific Ocean.

Alex Mustard / Reef scene with an orange soft corals (Scleronephthya sp.), pink and red soft corals (Dendronephthya sp.) and red sea fan (Melithaea sp.) with schooling silversides above. Pelee Island, Misool, Raja A...

Alex Mustard / Denise's pygmy seahorse (Hippocampus denise) on a red and white seafan (Melithaea sp). Wayil Batan Island, Misool, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia. Ceram Sea, Tropical West Pacific Ocean.

Alex Mustard / School of cardinalfish (Apogon sp.) mass in cave in coral reef, above Red seafan (Melithaea sp.). Misool, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia. Ceram Sea. Tropical West Pacific Ocean.