Dead Man's Fingers

Alcyonium digitatum

Sighting evidence at Fair Head, Ireland

Thick colonies of this soft coral cover Fair Head's walls from 5 metres downward, their fleshy orange and white lobes extended to feed in the tidal flow and retracted into compact lumps when disturbed. They grow slowly — large colonies may be decades old — and provide shelter for brittlestars and small crabs among their bases. Fair Head represents some of the finest Alcyonium coverage on the Irish coast, enabled by the constant nutrient delivery from the North Channel.

Evidence at this site

9 records within 25 km

Confidence: medium

Last confirmed May 2026

Seasonality

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How is this calculated?

Sighting evidence is compiled from iNaturalist observation records within a set proximity radius, filtered for quality-grade observations. “Last confirmed” is the date of the most recent research-grade record. Record count covers a rolling 24-month window. Confidence reflects record count, recency, and consistency of seasonal signal.

Dead Man's Fingers

Evidence at this site

Seasonality

Also seen at other sites