Alcyonium palmatum

Classification (WoRMS)

Full classification as recorded by WoRMS: Kingdom: Animalia · Phylum: Cnidaria · Class: Octocorallia · Order: Malacalcyonacea · Family: Alcyoniidae · Genus: Alcyonium.

Accepted name: Alcyonium palmatum · Authority: Pallas, 1766 · Taxonomic status: accepted · AphiaID: 125334.

Synonyms and superseded combinations recorded for this taxon: Alcyonium adriaticum Kükenthal, 1907; Alcyonium palmatum f. adriaticum Kükenthal, 1907; Lobularia palmata (Pallas, 1766).

Source: World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=125334 (CC BY 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-23.

Biology and life history (SeaLifeBase)

Measured values published by SeaLifeBase for Alcyonium palmatum. Only fields the database actually holds for this species are shown; these are database values, not aquarium guidance.

Habitat zone: sessile.

SeaLifeBase notes: Known from infra- and circalittoral zones (Ref. 85338).

Source: SeaLifeBase species summary (SpecCode 42726) — https://www.sealifebase.se/summary/Alcyonium-palmatum.html (CC BY-NC 3.0 — non-commercial use only). Accessed 2026-09-23.

Distribution and occurrence records (GBIF)

598 georeferenced occurrence records for Alcyonium palmatum are published through GBIF from 13 countries or marine areas. The map above plots 68 distinct locations from a sample of 598 records, omitting 25 inland records that carry an institution's coordinates rather than a collection site; it shows where the species has been observed and reported, not a modelled range.

Most records by country or area: Spain (416); France (71); Italy (34); Greece (24); Israel (18); Tunisia (10); Croatia (9); Netherlands (5); United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (4); Libya (2); Malta (2); Portugal (2); Albania (1).

Marine regions with a valid WoRMS distribution record: European waters (ERMS scope); Mediterranean Sea; Greek Exclusive Economic Zone; Kerkennah Islands; Spanish Exclusive Economic Zone.

Source: GBIF Occurrence Search (taxonKey 5185161) — https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/search?taxon_key=5185161&has_coordinate=true (records CC0 / CC BY); WoRMS distribution records (MarineRegions) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=125334 (CC BY 4.0); Natural Earth 110m basemap — https://www.naturalearthdata.com/ (public domain). Accessed 2026-09-23.

Description and natural history (Wikipedia)

Red dead man's fingers is a colonial coral forming clumps of red fleshy masses of finger-like lobes. The surface layer include many sclerites which form a crust. The individual polyps are white and translucent, and project from the leathery surface when feeding, giving the colony a furry appearance. By swallowing or ejecting water an entire colony can expand or shrink considerably.

Red dead man's fingers is found along the Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts of north west Europe from Portugal to Norway. The polyps live in colonies attached to bedrock, boulders, stones and occasionally the shells of crabs and gastropods. They are most plentiful in areas with strong water movement and where there is insufficient sunlight for algae to predominate. They are usually found in the sublittoral zone down to about fifty metres.

The colonies of red dead man's fingers are nearly always either male or female, although a small number of hermaphrodite colonies are found. Colony growth occurs mainly in the first half of the year with the polyps becoming inactive in late summer, and the base tissue turning reddish or brownish due to the growth of algae and hydroids on the surface. At this time the gonads are developing and spawning occurs in December and January.

The polyps feed at various times of the day with their tentacles extended. They are suspension feeders gathering plankton from the water with the help of cilia, and absorbing oxygen at the same time.

Source: Wikipedia: Alcyonium palmatum — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcyonium_palmatum (CC BY-SA 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-23.

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