Sea whip

Junceella juncea

Corals and anemones
IUCN: Not evaluated

Usual depth13–73 m
Water temperature24–29 °C
Best monthsApril and November
How commonRare

All species

Photo credit: (c) Georgina Jones, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Georgina Jones · CC BY-SA · iNaturalist

Where and when

Where it has been recorded

Worldwide

Loading the map

Best months

Worldwide (open data)

January: 7 records
February: 7 records
March: 3 records
April: 19 records
May: 7 records
June: 2 records
July: 4 records
August: 8 records
September: 15 records
October: 9 records
November: 27 records
December: 5 records

Depth and water temperature

Depth

Mostly recorded at 13–73 m · Deepest record: 1,218 m

0–10 m: 1 records
10–20 m: 22 records
20–30 m: 18 records
30–40 m: 11 records
40–50 m: 10 records
50–60 m: 8 records
60–70 m: 10 records
70–80 m: 1 records
80–90 m: 0 records
90–100 m: 0 records
100–110 m: 1 records
110+ m: 7 records

Water temperature

Recorded in surface water of 24–29 °C

22–24 °C: 3 records
24–26 °C: 51 records
26–28 °C: 34 records
28–30 °C: 31 records

Photos

Names and classification

English: Sea whip, sea whip

Names in 2 more languages

German: Peitschen-Gorgonie, Seepeitsche
Japanese: ミゾヤギ

Other scientific names: Ellisella juncea, Gorgonia juncea, Junceella (Junceella) juncea, Junceella trilineata, Juncella juncea, Viminella juncea

Sources and credits

Names and taxonomy: WoRMS (CC BY 4.0) and the GBIF Backbone (CC BY 4.0). Photos: iNaturalist observers, each under the licence shown (CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA).

Depth, temperature, months and maps: records from OBIS and GBIF under CC0 or CC BY.
Conservation status as published by GBIF (IUCN Red List).
223 open-data records from 1766 to 2015.
Species data updated October 26, 2026.

Log what you see on your next dive

The free DiveHive diver app keeps your logbook with every sighting and shows what lives at the site you dive next.

Join the waitlist