Description

 General colony shape similar to Alcyonium digitatum with an irregular, lobed form. However, in this species the lobes are more slender (not more than 2 cm wide), up to 30 cm high and often branched. Blood red or rust in colour, rarely pale orange or yellow, but the polyps are always white. When the polyps are visible, each has eight pinnate tentacles, which give a feathery appearance to the surface of the colony.May be confused with Alcyonium digitatum.