Curtain Gorgon

Gorgon aulaia. A soft, predatory coral akin to Earth's gorgonians, especially the Venus fan.

1. Sponge-coral moiety Like Earth's brown tube sponges (Agelas schmidti), soft corals on this world are a colony of coral polyps growing within a matrix of sponge tissue. In this specimen it is very difficult to distinguish the sponge's jellylike inner tissue (or mesohyl) from the soft coenenchyme which connects the coral polyps.

2. Ribbons of tissue The curtain gorgon forms a long, low-lying fan of tissue which catches prey. The curtain gorgon is an obligate predator and cannot survive on sunlight, but some specimens are colonized by chemotrophic bacteria which may provide the gorgon with extra energy.

3. Plasticized skeleton The gorgon's skeleton is chemically similar to PVC (polyvinyl chloride, an obsolete industrial plastic).

Assessment: indicates the presence of plankton and other small sea life.