Precious coral of Mediterranean Sea

Precious coral, (Corallium rubrum), or Red coral, is the common name given to a genus of marine corals, Corallium. The distinguishing characteristic of precious corals is their durable and intensely colored red or pink-orange skeleton, which is used for making jewelry.

Astrospartus mediterraneus

The Basket Star (Astrospartus mediterraneus), (Risso,1826) is a echinoderm belongs to the phylum Echinodermata, to the Ophiuroidea class, Gorgonocephalidae family. The Basket Star is characterized by five tentacles, each branched several times, with which it clings to the branches of the soft corals and which are opened at night to feed on. The body has a diameter that can reach 8 centimeters, ...

Special mission mediterranean Spiny lobster

It is late August and Summer is the period in which many marine organisms prepare for procreation. We have therefore decided to reach a deep Mediterranean coral reef, over 7 miles from the coast, knowing that, with a bit of luck, we will find lobsters. We chose a deep dive because at that depth it is more difficult for fishermen to lower their fishing nets and therefore to be more ...

European Lobster

European lobster, Homarus Gammarus, known as the Common Lobster, belongs crustaceans class, Malacrostaca subclass, Decapoda order, Nephropidae family, it has a body completely covered by a robust shell with two large claws, different from each other, one more stocky and massive and one more sharp and slender. In front of the mouth it has six antennas as organs of touch, the thorax is smooth with ...

Mediterranean coral reef

Savalia savaglia, commonly known as Gold coral, is a species colonial in the family Parazoanthidae.  This organism is commonly called "false black coral". It owes its name to its ability to produce a dark-colored horny skeleton, usually blackish. The colonies are generally settled on pre-existing gorgonians skeletons and can grow ...

Dorid nudibranch Felimare picta

Felimare picta is a species of colourful sea slug or dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusk i the family Chromodorididae. Atlantic Ocean species of Hypselodoris were all transferred to Felimare following a DNA phylogeny. Several species were formerly considered to be subspecies of Felimare picta but several have now been elevated to species rank ...

Diving near Gorgona island

We planned this scuba dive in the area between Livorno and Gorgona Island. We are over 12 nautical miles from Livorno and about 6 miles from Gorgona, in the Tuscan Archipelago. In this area the seabed rises from over 100 meters deep to 48 metres. It is an area that we know well in the part between 48 and 54 meters deep, ...

Mediterranean coral reef

Savalia savaglia, commonly known as gold coral, is a species colonial in the family Parazoanthidae.  This organism is commonly called "false black coral". It owes its name to its ability to produce a dark-colored horny skeleton, usually blackish. The colonies are generally settled on pre-existing gorgonians skeletons and can grow with ramifications ...

Gold Coral Reproduction

We have witnessed a wonderful "miracle" of nature that we document with this underwater video: the reproduction of Savalia Savaglia. A large colony of Gorgonians have opened their polyps to release their gametes into the water to be transported by sea currents for to reproduction.

Basket Star

The Basket Star is characterized by five tentacles, each branched several times, with which it clings to the branches of the soft corals and which are opened at night to feed on.

Giant Triton

The Giant Triton, Charonia tritonis, common name the Triton's trumpet, is a species of very large sea scnail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Charoniidae, Gastropoda class. The tritons reaching up to 60 cm in shell length this is one of the big mollusks in the coral reef.

The Yellow Gorgonian Eunicella Cavolinii

Eunicella cavolinii, commonly known as the yellow gorgonian or yellow sea whip, is native to parts of the western Atlantic Ocean and most of the Mediterranean Sea, where it is a common species. Eunicella cavolini is a much-branched soft coral growing to a height of about 50 cm.

Tuscan Archipelago: coral reef of Savalia and Paramuricea

This video was made during an scuba diving in the depths of the Tuscan Archipelago and shows us a beautiful and exuberant coral reef full of life characterized by Savalia savaglia and Paramuricea clavata soft corals in addition marine biology present in the Mediterranean Sea.

Cushion Coral

Cladocora caespitosa shape of the colonies similar to rounded pillows that in some cases can reach the meter in diameter and weigh tens of kilograms. This endemic madrepore of the Mediterranean Sea lives attached to the rocks at a depth of between 5 and 25 meters of depth,

Young Epinephelus Marginatus

We met this young Epinephelus marginatus along the cliff in front of Castiglioncello in the Mediterranean Sea, a famous seaside resort in the province of Livorno, during one of the scuba diving.

The Great Beauty of the Underwater World

This video was made on a rocky seabed off Castiglioncello in thr Mediterranean Sea and shows us the great beauty of a rocky wall colonized by the gorgonian "Savalia Savaglia". The show is truly extraordinary and shows us a stretch of intact seabed.

Mediterranean Lobster - Spiny Lobster

Spiny Lobster, Palinurus elephas is which is commonly caught in the Mediterranean Sea. Is a common species of spiny lobster, found in the eastern  Atlantic Ocean, from southern Norway to Morocco and the Azores. It lives on rocky exposed coasts below theintertidal zone, mainly at depths of 20 to 70 metres.

Umbraculum mediterraneum

I saw this beautiful specimen of Umbraculum mediterraneum during a dive in a Mediterranean coral reef at a depth of over 70 meters. In many years of diving I had never come across this nudibranch. It is an adult specimen of rather large dimensions, in fact it is well over 20 cm in length.

Mediterranean Lobster

Mediterranean Lobster (Homarus gammarus). It is the largest crustacean in the Mediterranean ...

Bryozoan - Reteporella grimaldii

Reteporella grimaldii, a bryozoan of Reteporidae family, briozoa phylum, we found it on a vertical wall ...

Basket Star - Astrospartus

The Basket Star (Astrospartus mediterraneus Risso, 1826) is an echinoderm of the gorgonocephalidae family.  ...

Savalia Savaglia - Palinurus Elephas - Muraena Helena

In this immersion of 08/28/2016 in a rare area populated by many Savalia Savaglia ....

Savalia savaglia - "false black coral"

The colony resembles a sturdy shrub, with the base squat and sometimes of considerable diameter, from which depart the ramifications.

Savalia savaglia, Paramuricea clavata

This movie was made on 30.07.2016 in the low seabed Ligurian Sea at a depth of 65/70 meters. ...