Galapagos Species Database
The Galapagos Species Database shares the information about the species from our Natural History Collections.
Heterogorgia hickmani
coral blando, gorgonia, Soft coral, gorgonian
Colonies consist of numerous branches arising from a continuous encrusting holdfast.
Found on rock substrates between 6-11 m depth, including Isabela, Floreana, Espanola, San Cristobal, Santa Fe, Rabida, and Grodon Rocks.
Domain
Eukaryota
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Cnidaria
Class
Anthozoa
Order
Malacalcyonacea
Family
Acanthogorgiidae
Genus
Heterogorgia
Species
hickmani
Taxon category: Accepted
Origin: Endemic
Map of specimen collection localities or observation records for this species in our collections database.
Distribution: Within the Galapagos archipelago found in the central, western and far-northern Bioregions, Pinzon, Floreana, San Cristobal, Isabela, Santa Fe, Rabida, Santa Cruz, Española
- Appeltans, W. Bouchet, P., Boxshall, G.A., Fauchald, K., Gordon, D.P., Hoeksema, B.W., Poore, G.C.B., van Soest, R.W.M., Stöhr, S., Walter, T.C., Costello, M.J. (eds.) (2010) World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS). Available online at http://www.marinespecies.org.
- Hickman, C.P. Jr. (2008) A field guide to corals and other radiates of Galápagos. Sugar Spring Press, Lexington, Virginia, 162 pp.
- Breedy, O. Guzman, H.M. (2005) A New Species of Alcyonacean Octocoral from the Galápagos Archipelago. J. Mar. Biol. Ass. United Kingdom 85: 801-807.
- Breedy, O. Hickman, C.P. & Williams, G.C. (2009) Octocorals in the Galapagos Islands. Galapagos Research 66: 27-31.
- Breedy, O. Guzman, H.M. (2011) A revision of the genus Heterogorgia Verrill, 1868 (Anthozoa: Octocorallia: Plexauridae) Zootaxa 2995: 27–44pp.
- Ahyong, S Et. al. (2025) World Register of Marine Species. Available from https://www.marinespecies.org at VLIZ. doi:10.14284/170
You are welcome to download and use the information found in this page, acknowledging its source.
This page should be cited as follows:
"Galapagos Species Database, Heterogorgia hickmani", dataZone. Charles Darwin Foundation, https://datazone.darwinfoundation.org/en/checklist/?species=7944. Accessed 16 July 2025.