The galls can contain females, males, egg sacs and larvae. On the top of the galls there are small structures that resemble horns or chimney stacks, which have a narrow channel. The function of the channels is unclear.
Gorgonophilus canadensis (females).
There are lots of unanswered questions about the ecology of the species, which appears to feed on the coral. Since the infected bubblegum coral colonies appear to be perfectly healthy without showing any sign of disease, it is probable that the parasite only feeds modestly on the coral.
The parasite was discovered in Canada in 2003, and was given the scientific name Gorgonophilus canadensis (= Canadian sea fan lover) (Buhl-Mortensen & Mortensen 2004). Both the species and genus were new to the scientific world, and so far no other species have been found within the same genus.
