As octocorallians, they possess 8 tentacles and 8 complete mesentaries . Only a single siphonoglyph is present. Branches in gorgonians are arranged around a central axis. Leptogorgia hebes is a thickly branching gorgonian which usually grows in one plane. Branch color may range from orange or red to purple.
Polyps are white and alternate along the branches in rows.
L. hebes has formerly been classified as belonging to the genus Lophogorgia , but this is no longer considered a separate genus. Leptogorgia hebes occurs from North Carolina to Brazil, including the east central and gulf coasts of Florida. Depth distribution is approximately from 25 - 130 ft. L. hebes occurs in inlet areas of the Indian River Lagoon and in the nearshore reefs off east central Florida. Shallow inshore and offshore populations of Leptogorgia hebes showed annual periodicity of concentric rings in the axial skeleton.