They grow attached to the seabed and form tree-like colonies mostly branching in one plane. This is a large and diverse group, which includes hydroids, jellyfish, sea anemones, soft corals and true corals.
Gorgonians are a diverse group, with most species occuring in tropical and sub-tropical waters.
The pink seafan, Eunicella verrucosa , is the only gorgonian found around Southern Britain. The Northern seafan, Swiftia pallida , occurs around West Scotland and North West Ireland.