Drifa glomerata Dense Carnation Coral, Cauliflower Coral, Orb Carnation Coral, Drifa Octocoral, Cauliflower Soft Coral

Drifa glomerata is an azooxanthellate soft coral of the cold northern zones and has a particular depth distribution from 5 meters up to 1,500 meters with equally interesting water temperatures, ranging from -1.5° to 8.5°Celsius.

The report "Cold-Water Soft Corals (Cnidaria: Nephtheidae) as Habitat for Juvenile Basket Stars (Echinodermata: Gorgonocephalidae)" states that Drifa glomerata is the soft coral species with the highest occurrence of associated juvenile brittle stars (32%), with a maximum of 111 basket stars found on a single 4.8 cm colony (when aggregated).

In this respect, the pink soft coral is of particular importance as a commensal host for juvenile brittle stars.
Another good reason to protect the corals of the oceans particularly well.

Synonyms:
Alcyonium luetkeni (von Marenzeller, 1878)
Ammothea luetkeni von Marenzeller, 1878
Briareum grandiflorum Möbius, 1874
Capnella glomerata (Verrill, 1869)
Drifa flavescens (Danielssen, 1887)
Drifa hyalina Danielssen, 1887
Drifa islandica Danielssen, 1887
Eunephthya flavescens (Danielssen, 1887)
Eunephthya glomerata Verrill, 1869
Eunephthya glomerata var. flavescens (Danielssen, 1887)
Eunephthya glomerata var. islandica (Danielssen, 1887)
Eunephthya glomerata var. rosea (Danielssen, 1887)
Eunephthya hyalina (Danielssen, 1887)
Eunephthya luetkeni (von Marenzeller, 1878)
Gersemia glomerata (Verrill, 1869)
Gersemiopsis arctica Danielssen, 1887
Nephthya flavescens Danielssen, 1887
Nephthya polaris Danielssen, 1887
Nephthya rosea Danielssen, 1887
Paraspongodes arctica (Danielssen, 1887)
Paraspongodes hyalina (Danielssen, 1887)
Paraspongodes luetkeni (von Marenzeller, 1878)
Paraspongodes sarsi May, 1900