Melithaea ochracea
| Melithaea ochracea | |
|---|---|
| Knotted fan coral at Pulau Tioman, West Malaysia | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Cnidaria |
| Subphylum: | Anthozoa |
| Class: | Octocorallia |
| Order: | Malacalcyonacea |
| Family: | Melithaeidae |
| Genus: | Melithaea |
| Species: | M. ochracea
|
| Binomial name | |
| Melithaea ochracea (Linnaeus, 1758)
| |
Melithaea ochracea is a species of colonial soft coral in the family Melithaeidae, commonly known as knotted fan coral. It grows in tree-like fans on coral reefs in the South China Sea. It grows in tree-like fans on coral reefs in the South China Sea and is used in the jewelry industry under the name red spongy coral.