Juergen Freund / Golden damselfish (Amblyglyphidodon aureus) tending eggs laid on a whip coral, West New Britain, Papua New Guinea.

Juergen Freund / Coral reef landscape with abundant whip corals, Blue sea stars and hard coral, North Sulawesi, Indonesia, October 2009.

Juergen Freund / Diver observing Coral razor / Shrimp fish (Aeoliscus strigatus) camouflaged amongst whip coral on coral reef, North Sulawesi, Indonesia. Model released.

Juergen Freund / View of sea surface through a Whip coral forest (Junceella sp) Kimbe Bay, West New Britain, Papua New Guinea

Juergen Freund / Two whip coral gobies (Bryaninops yongei) on a black coral sea whip. Lembeh Strait, North Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Juergen Freund / Whip coral (Gorgonaceae) Komodo NP, Indonesia

Fred Bavendam / Crescent-tail Bigeye (Priacanthus hamrur) in front of a sea fan, Uepi Island, Solomon Islands

Doug Perrine / Red whip coral {Ellisella sp} Bahamas

Chris Newbert / Underwater reef scene with Sea Whips, Gorgonian Whip Coral, blossoming Soft Corals, Guard Plate Coral, and schools of Pseudanthias, Red Sea, Egypt

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

Chris Newbert / Soft Coral (Dendronephthya sp) outcroppings, Sea Fan (Subergorgia sp) and Glassfish (Parapriacanthus ransonneti)

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

Norbert Wu / Flamingo Tongue Snail (Cyphoma gibbosum) feeding on Common Sea Fan (Gorgonia ventalina) showing deep purple tone where the Sea Fan has released protective compounds, Saba, Caribbean

Fred Bavendam / Cowry living on Sea Fan (Solenocaulon sp), Bali, Indonesia

Fred Bavendam / Pygmy Seahorse (Hippocampus bargibanti) clinging to a Gorgonian Coral Fan, Lembeh Straits, Sulawesi, Indonesia

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

Francis Abbott / Seawhip coral {Junceella sp} Red Sea

Juergen Freund / Whip coral {Stichopathes sp} Sulu-sulawesi seas, Indo Pacific

Alex Mustard / Black sea rod / Caribbean sea whip (Plexaura homomalla) on a shallow reef with sun shing through the water, East End, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, British West Indies, Caribbean Sea.

Georgette Douwma / Sea Whip (Ellisella ceratophyta) on coral reef. Komodo National Park, Indonesia.

Juergen Freund / Golden damselfish (Amblyglyphidodon aureus) tending eggs laid on a whip coral, West New Britain, Papua New Guinea.

Juergen Freund / Golden damselfish (Amblyglyphidodon aureus) tending eggs laid on a whip coral, West New Britain, Papua New Guinea.

Juergen Freund / Whip coral forest (Junceella sp) West New Britain, Papua New Guinea.

Juergen Freund / Red whip corals / sea whips (Ellisella sp) West New Britain, Papua New Guinea.

Juergen Freund / Black coral shrimp (Tozeuma armatum) camouflaged on whip coral, Batangas, Philippines.

Juergen Freund / Two whip corals intertwined, Komodo NP, Indonesia.

Juergen Freund / Whip coral on coral reef, Komodo NP, Indonesia.

Juergen Freund / Red whip corals / sea whips (Ellisella sp) bending in the current, Kimbe Bay, West New Britain, Papua New Guinea.

Juergen Freund / Whip coral forest (Junceella sp) Kimbe Bay, West New Britain, Papua New Guinea.

Juergen Freund / Black coral shrimp (Tozeuma armatum) camouflaged against black whip coral, Komodo NP, Indonesia, Indo-pacific.

Juergen Freund / Tiny reef crab on a whip coral, Kimbe Bay, West New Britain, Papua New Guinea

Birgitte Wilms / Sea Fan (Acabaria sp) with polyps extended for feeding, Solomon Islands

Birgitte Wilms / Soft coral and sea fan, Solomon Islands

Birgitte Wilms / Soft coral and sea fan, Solomon Islands

Pete Oxford / Southern Stingray (Dasyatis americana) on coral reef, Jardines de la Reina National Park, Cuba

Juergen Freund / Zanzibar whip coral shrimp (Dasycaris zanzibarica) camouflaged on whip coral, Lembeh Strait, North Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Juergen Freund / Pygmy seahorse (Hippocampus denise) on a red sea whip - not its usual fan coral habitat, in which it is much better camouflaged. Misool, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia,

Juergen Freund / Zanzibar whipcoral shrimp (Dasycaris zanzibarica) on whip coral, Lembeh Strait, North Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Juergen Freund / Allied cowry (Aclyvolva lamyi) camouflaged on red whip coral, New Ireland, Papua New Guinea

Juergen Freund / Deatil of blue polyps on Whip coral, Sipadan, Malaysia

Juergen Freund / Red whip corals / sea whips (Ellisella sp) Kimbe Bay, Papua New Guinea, Indo-pacific.

Hiroya Minakuchi / Whip Coral Goby (Bryaninops youngei) on coral, Borneo, Malaysia

Juergen Freund / Spider crab (Xenocarcinus tuberculatus) on whip coral. North Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia

Juergen Freund / Eggs of Golden damselfish (Amblyglyphidodon aureus) on a Whip coral. Misool, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia

Juergen Freund / Denise's pygmy seahorse (Hippocampus denise) on a red sea whip. Its usual habitat is a fan coral where it is much better camouflaged. Misool, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia

Juergen Freund / Zanzibar whip coral shrimp (Dasycaris zanzibarica) camouflaged on a strand of Whip coral, Lembeh Strait, Sulawesi, Indonesia, September

David Shale / Deepsea Whip coral (Gorgonacea) from mid Atlantic Ridge,

Georgette Douwma / Sea whips (Junceella fragilis) on coral reef. Philippines

Tim Laman / A school of Rigid shrimpfish (Aeoliscus strigatus), hover for protection around a whip coral covered in crinoid feather stars. Bali, Indonesia.

Juergen Freund / Whip coral covered in colonial sea anemones, Indo-pacific

Sue Daly / Sea fan coral (Ctenocella sp) Cebu, Philippines, March

Fred Bavendam / Whip Coral Goby (Bryaninops youngei) among eggs, Manado, Indonesia

Juergen Freund / Red whip corals / sea whips (Ellisella sp) and various sponges on coral reef, Indo-pacific

Juergen Freund / Whip corals / Sea whips (Ellisella sp) and featherstars (Crinoidea), on coral reef, Indo-pacific

Juergen Freund / Red whip corals / sea whips (Ellisella sp) and various sponges on coral reef, Indo-pacific

Juergen Freund / Red whip corals (Ctenocella pectinata) with Featherstar (Crinoidea) attached, Indo-pacific

Hiroya Minakuchi / Longnose Hawkfish (Oxycirrhites typus) camouflaged on sea fan, Celebes Sea

Fred Bavendam / Flamingo Tongue Snail (Cyphoma gibbosum) on a Common Sea Fan (Gorgonia ventalina), Bahamas, Caribbean

Fred Bavendam / Gorgonian Coral (Calcigorgia spiculifera) amidst Taylor's Colonial Tunicates (Metandrocarpa taylori), British Columbia, Canada

Fred Bavendam / Large Whip Goby (Bryaninops amplus) on coral, Australia

Fred Bavendam / Whip Coral Goby (Bryaninops youngei) on eggs, Sulawesi, Indonesia

Fred Bavendam / White-lined Rock Cod (Anyperodon leucogrammicus) in front of sea fan, Kimbe Bay, Papua New Guinea

Chris Newbert / Soft Coral (Dendronephthya sp) and Sea Fans (Muricella sp) growing on dead sea fan stalk, 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

Chris Newbert / Crinoids on sea fan, Indonesia

Chris Newbert / Giant Clam (Tridacna gigas) and gorgonian sea fan on ocean floor, Indonesia

Chris Newbert / Pygmy Seahorse (Hippocampus bargibanti) clinging to Sea Fan (Muricella sp), Indonesia

Norbert Wu / Sea fan, part of coral reef, Komodo Island, Indonesia

Tim Laman / A spiraling Whip coral in front of a Sponge on coral reef wall, Borneo, Sipadan Island, Sabah, Malaysia

Tim Laman / Scalefin / Lyretail Anthias (Pseudanthias squamipinnis) swimming over reef covered in soft corals and whip coral. Vatu-i-Ra, Fiji, Pacific

Tim Laman / Whip corals growing on a reef in the Republic of Palau, Micronesia.

Tim Laman / Red whip coral on reef, Pacific islands

Tim Laman / Scalefin / Lyretail Anthias (Pseudanthias squamipinnis) swimming over reef covered in soft corals and whip coral. Vatu-i-Ra, Fiji, Pacific

Norbert Wu / Lemon Shark (Negaprion acutidens) swimming over sea fans, Bahamas, Caribbean

Juergen Freund / Whip coral growing up through Hard coral, fight for survival, Indo-Pacific

Juergen Freund / Black coral shrimp {Pontonides unciger} camouflaged on whip coral, Indo-Pacific

Juergen Freund / Whip goby {Bryaninops sp} pair on whip coral with their eggs, Indo-pacific

Juergen Freund / Dr Billy Sinclair, Senior Lecturer at Central Queensland University, Rockhampton, observing nautilus swimming amidst red whip coral. Queensland, Australia.

Juergen Freund / Diver watching Chambered nautilus (Nautilus pompilius) in red whip coral, Queensland, Australia

Juergen Freund / Chambered nautilus (Nautilus pompilius) in red whip coral, Queensland, Australia

Jurgen Freund / Whip corals (Ellisella sp), with diver in the background. Rowley Shoals, Western Australia

Juergen Freund / Colonial sea anemones {Actiniaria} on Whip coral skeleton, Indo pacific

Juergen Freund / Spider crab / Mickey mouse crab {Xenocarcinus tuberculatus} camouflaged on whip coral, Indo Pacific

GEORGETTE DOUWMA / Red whip coral (Ctenocella pectinata). New Guinea. Indo-Pacific.

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

Juergen Freund / Eggs of Damselfish (Pomacentridae) along whip coral, Indo-Pacific

GEORGETTE DOUWMA / Yellow seawhip coral {Stichopathes} Sulawesi, Indonesia Bunaken

Juergen Freund / Whip coral and diver (Stichopathes) Indo-Pacific

Chris Newbert / Xeno Crab (Xenocarcinus tuberculatus) on Wire Coral (Cirrhipathes sp) 70 feet deep, Papua New Guinea

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 / Longnose Hawkfish (Oxycirrhites typus) on Sea Fan (Siphonogorgia sp) 60 feet deep, Papua New Guinea

Chris Newbert / Whip Coral Goby (Bryaninops youngei) on Wire Coral (Cirrphipathes spiralis) 60 feet deep, Solomon Islands

Chris Newbert / Whip Coral Goby (Bryaninops youngei) on Wire Coral (Cirrphipathes spiralis) 60 feet deep, Solomon Islands