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Narella alata is a deep-sea gorgonian that forms a commensal community with a polychaete worm ( usually a polynoid), where the facing basal scales of two adjacent polyps are greatly enlarged and modified to form an elongate cylindrical tube about 4 mm in diameter for the worm.
This characteristic commensal community is easily observed without a microscope .
The holotype of the first description was 29cm high and 31 cm wide and showed straight ascending branches up to a length of 36cm.
Similar species: Narella allmani (Wright & Studer, 1889
This characteristic commensal community is easily observed without a microscope .
The holotype of the first description was 29cm high and 31 cm wide and showed straight ascending branches up to a length of 36cm.
Similar species: Narella allmani (Wright & Studer, 1889