Alex Mustard / Close up of tiny (10mm) Pygmy seahorse (Hippocampus bargibanti) living disguised in Muricella sp. sea fan. Bitung, North Sulawesi, Indonesia. Lembeh Strait, Molucca Sea.

Chris Newbert / Fan Coral (Melithaea sp) group and Feather Star (Oxycomanthus bennetti), Solomon Islands

Chris Newbert / Feather Star (Colobometra perspinosa) on Sea Fan (Melithaea sp) and Leather Coral (Sarcophyton sp) 70 Feet Deep, Solomon Islands

Fred Bavendam / Basslet (Pseudanthias sp) school, swimming near a Sea Fan (Melithaea sp) and a Blue Sea Star (Linckia laevigata)

Alex Mustard / Denise's pygmy seahorse (Hippocampus denise) on a red and white seafan (Melithaea sp). Wayil Batan Island, Misool, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia. Ceram Sea, Tropical West Pacific Ocean.

Alex Mustard / School of cardinalfish (Apogon sp.) mass in cave in coral reef, above Red seafan (Melithaea sp.). Misool, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia. Ceram Sea. Tropical West Pacific Ocean.

Brandon Cole / Knotted sea fan (Melithaea sp.), with small damselfish. Palau, Pacific Ocean.

Pascal Kobeh / Diver on a coral reef behind bloodred seafans / gorgonians (Melithaea sp. / Subergorgia sp.) New Caledonia, Pacific Ocean.

Pascal Kobeh / Diver on a coral reef behind Blood red sea fans / gorgonians (Melithaea sp. / Subergorgia sp.) New Caledonia, Pacific Ocean

Alex Mustard / Large reef scene on the current exposed face of a coral reef, with seafans (Melithaea sp.), soft corals (Dendronephthya spp.), sponges, coral grouper (Cephalopholis miniata), anthias, damselfish and m...

Alex Mustard / Red sea fan (Melithaea sp.) growing beneath an island (Nudi Rock), with sun rays and trees. Misool, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia. Ceram Sea. Tropical West Pacific Ocean.

Georgette Douwma / Gorgonian sea fan (Melithaea sp.) with Lyretail anthias (Pseudanthias sqamipinnis). Similan Islands, Andaman Sea, Thailand

Georgette Douwma / Kaleidoscopic image of Gorgonian sea fan (Melithaea sp.) Similan Islands, Andaman Sea, Thailand.

Alex Mustard / RF - Seafan (Melithaea sp.) growing beneath coral cavern. Ambon, Maluku Archipelago, Indonesia. Banda Sea, tropical west Pacific Ocean. (This image may be licensed either as rights managed or royalty...

Franco Banfi / Scuba diver and Gorgonian fan (Acabaria sp.) Tubbataha Reef Natural Park, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Sulu Sea, Cagayancillo, Palawan, Philippines

Franco Banfi / Crinoid or feather star on a sea fan (Melithaea sp) Tubbataha Reef Natural Park, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Sulu Sea, Cagayancillo, Palawan, Philippines

Alex Mustard / RF - A colourful reef scene with seafans (Melithaea sp.) soft corals (Dendronephthya sp) and mainly female scalefin anthias (Pseudanthias squamipinnis). Ra Province, Viti Levu, Fiji, Polynesia. Bligh...

Alex Mustard / RF - Seafans (Melithaea sp.) growing on dropoff, beneath schooling fish. Boo Windows, Boo Islands, Misool, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia. Tropical West Pacific Ocean. (This image may be licensed e...

Alex Mustard / Red seafan (Melithaea sp) South Atoll, Tubbataha Atolls, Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park, Palawan, Philippines. Sulu Sea.

Tony Wu / Jewel fairy basslets (Pseudanthias squamipinnis) around sea fans, Carl's Ultimate dive site in the Eastern Fields of Papua New Guinea

Tony Wu / Magenta slender basslets (Luzonichthys waitei) around sea fan, Eastern Fields, Papua New Guinea.

Tony Wu / Orange basslets (Pseudanthias squamipinnis) with sea fans on top of the arch at The Doghouse dive site in Diving Dog Passage on the Barrier Reef of Papua New Guinea

Tony Wu / Orange basslets (Pseudanthias squamipinnis) with sea fans on top of the arch at The Doghouse dive site in Diving Dog Passage on the Barrier Reef of Papua New Guinea

Tony Wu / Healthy coral reef landscape, Carl's Ultimate dive site in the Eastern Fields of Papua New Guinea

Alex Mustard / Abstract view of Seafan (Melithaea sp.). Ra Province, Viti Levu, Fiji. Nananu Passage, Vatu-i-Ra Passage, Bligh Waters, Tropical South Pacific Ocean.

Alex Mustard / Seafans (Melithaea sp.) and soft corals (Sarcophyton sp.) make up a colourful coral reef scene. Vatu-i-Ra Passage, Ra Province, Viti Levu, Fiji. Bligh Waters, tropical Pacific Ocean

Alex Mustard / Seafan (Melithaea sp.) grows below an overhang in the shade of sunbeams. Daram Islands, Misool, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia. Ceram Sea.

Willem Kolvoort / Solitary coral on Sea fan in coral reef around Alphonse Island, Seychelles, Indian Ocean

Willem Kolvoort / Sea fan in the coral reef around Alphonse Island, Seychelles, Indian Ocean

Willem Kolvoort / Sea fan and soft corals on reef, Cosmoledo Island, Seychelles, Indian Ocean

Willem Kolvoort / Sea fan and soft corals on reef, Cosmoledo Island, Seychelles, Indian Ocean

Georgette Douwma / Gorgonian sea fan (Melithaea sp.) with Lyretail anthias (Pseudanthias squamipinnis) Similan Islands, Andaman Sea, Thailand.

Georgette Douwma / Gorgonian sea fan (Melithaea sp.) with two Golden damsels (Amblyglyphidodon aureus) Similan Islands, Andaman Sea, Thailand.

Georgette Douwma / Gorgonian sea fan (Melithaea sp.) and soft coral (Dendronephthya sp.) Andaman Sea, Thailand.

Georgette Douwma / Gorgonian sea fan (Melithaea sp.) with Lyretail anthias (Pseudanthias sqamipinnis) Similan Islands, Andaman Sea, Thailand.

Georgette Douwma / Gorgonian sea fans (Melithaea sp.) with a large school of Pygmy sweepers (Parapriacanthus ransonetti) Andaman Sea, Thailand.

Franco Banfi / Large sea fan (Melithaea sp) Menjangan Island, Bali Island, Indonesia, Pacific Ocean

Franco Banfi / Scuba diver and Large sea fan (Melithaea sp) Menjangan Island, Bali Island, Indonesia, Pacific Ocean. September 2006.

Alex Mustard / Giant seafans (Melithaea sp.) growing on the wall of a channel between islands, with Glassfish (Ambassidae) Gorgonian Passage, Wayil Batan, Misool, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia. Ceram Sea.

Brandon Cole / Colorful shallow bombora (submerged rock shelves) with Blue starfish (Linckia laevigata) Soft corals (Dendronephthya sp.) and Sea fans (Melithaea), sponges, tunicates and more. Komodo National Park, I...

Pascal Kobeh / Gorgonian or sea fan (Melithaea sp), New Caledonia, Pacific Ocean.

Alex Mustard / Thriving reef scene, with Seafans (Melithaea sp.) and reef fish. Boo West, Misool, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia. Ceram Sea.

Alex Mustard / Tiny (10mm) pygmy seahorse (Hippocampus bargibanti) sheltering in seafan (Muricella sp.) Bitung, North Sulawesi, Indonesia. Lembeh Strait, Molucca Sea.

Alex Mustard / Female Denise's pygmy seahorse (Hippocampus denise) on coral seafan (Annella mollis) Misool, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia. Ceram Sea.

Michael Pitts / Fan coral (Gorgonacea), Maldives, Indian Ocean.

Michael Pitts / Fan coral (Gorgonacea), Maldives, Indian Ocean.

Franco Banfi / Tunicates (Clavelina sp) covering a seafan branches, Friwinbonda Point, Kri island, Raja Ampat, Irian Jaya, West Papua, Indonesia, Pacific Ocean

Franco Banfi / Rich reef with sea fan (Melithaea) and soft coral (Dendronephthya sp) , Raja Ampat, Irian Jaya, West Papua, Indonesia, Pacific Ocean