"FAMILY:  ANTIPATHIDAE

COMMON NAME: WHITE BLACK CORAL

SCIENTIFIC NAMES: Antipathes sp.

FEATURES: Yes, it does appear similar to white weed.  Unfortunately in previous decades black coral was only known by its dead skeleton colour ( black) which is still fished today and brought up from the sea bed, polished and sold as high priced jewelry.
The very fact that when they are alive, black corals can be any colour BUT black, is not always common knowledge. This species grows to around 2 metres in height and occurs all around Southern Australia and at least as far north as Mooloolaba off the south east  coast of Queensland, Australia, just north of Brisbane. It can be found on rocky reefs from 5 to 100 metres and has some very interesting commensal species living on it .

The red things that appear wrapped around the white black coral branches are Grasping  Snake Stars Astrobrachion constrictum. These Snake Stars reach a size of 200 mm or more and spend their entire lives on the white black coral. Strictly nocturnal they roam around the branches of the black coral at night feeding on the mucus it produces. They can be found from 5 metres down to 540 metres.
(photo: Neville  Coleman)  (see SEA STARS – Echinoderms of the Asia/Indo - Pacific for further details.)

Sometimes found living on the white black coral are specimens of the Graceful Spindle Cowry  Phenacovolva gracilis. These beautiful little spindle cowries grow to 30 mm and they are obligate predators, feeding on the black corals white skin. They live out their entire lives on the white black coral and I would be interested to know if you can find any at Fish Rock as my records (1976) show them from Byron Bay to Coff’s harbour. NSW." - Neville Coleman

Special thanks to Neville Coleman for identifying this image. Neville has spent much of his life photographing and documenting sea life and has authored over 50 books, mostly on underwater natural history.