---
title: Soft Sea Fan Coral (Annella mollis)
scientific_name: Annella mollis
common_name: Soft Sea Fan Coral
taxon: Gorgonians
published: 2024-08-06T22:35:55.892Z
updated: 2026-08-08T10:06:01.512Z
tags: Soft Sea Fan Coral, Annella mollis, Gorgonians, Red Sea, Marine Life, Diving
url: https://redseacreatures.com/taxon/invertebrate/stinging/gorgonians/soft-sea-fan-coral
---

# Soft Sea Fan Coral (*Annella mollis*)

## Quick facts

- **Group:** Gorgonians (*Subergorgiidae*)
- **Size:** up to 1 m
- **Depth:** 10-40 m
- **Diet:** Filter feeder
- **Habitat:** Steep reef slopes, walls, and drop-offs

## How to recognise it

- broad, flat fan shape
- flexible central stalk
- lacy pattern of fine branches
- variable colours: orange, yellow, violet, brown

Annella mollis, the Soft Sea Fan Coral, forms broad, flat fans up to 1 meter (3.3 ft) in width. These fans consist of a flexible central stalk from which fine branches radiate, forming a lacy pattern designed to maximize exposure to water currents. Tiny polyps cover the branches, contributing to the coral's textured appearance. Its colours vary from orange and yellow to shades of violet and brown.

It inhabits steep reef slopes, walls, and drop-offs, typically between 10 and 40 meters (33-131 ft) deep. The species favors strong currents, which facilitate the capture of plankton and detritus by its polyps using their tentacles. Annella mollis also hosts symbiotic zooxanthellae, photosynthetic algae living within its tissues that provide supplementary nutrients. The coral provides habitat and shelter for various marine organisms, including fish, crustaceans, and other invertebrates, contributing to the structural complexity of coral reefs.

## Also known as

- **English:** Giant Sea Fan
- **French:** Gorgone géante
- **German:** Riesen-Fächerkoralle
- **Japanese:** ウチワヒラヤギ
- **Russian:** Анелла эластичная

## Scientific synonyms

- *Euplexaura mollis* Nutting, 1910
- *Subergorgia hicksoni* Stiasny, 1938
- *Subergorgia mollis* (Nutting, 1910)
- *Suberogorgia hicksoni* Stiasny, 1938
- *Suberogorgia mollis* (Nutting, 1910)

---

*Source: [Red Sea Creatures](https://redseacreatures.com/taxon/invertebrate/stinging/gorgonians/soft-sea-fan-coral)*
*Updated: August 8, 2026*