Encrusting Zoanthid
| Name: | Encrusting Zoanthid |
| Scientific Name: | Palythoa caribaeorum |
| Family: | Zoanthids |
| Taxonomic: | Sphenopidae |
| ID Group: | Anemones, Hydroids, Jellyfish |
| Size: | up to 0.5 in. |
| Depth Range: | On the reef (10 – 60 ft.) |
| Sightings: | Seen often |
This Zoanthid grows in colonies made up of round, flat discs with short tentacles around the edges. The discs can be brown, beige, or white and often grow close together in thick layers.
Encrusting Zoanthids form large spreading mats in areas with water movement. These mats cover rocks and other surfaces, sometimes spreading over Hard Corals and occupying space where other species might grow.