sea fan
noun
: any of various gorgonian corals (especially genus Gorgonia) with a compressed fan-shaped skeleton
especially
: either of two (Gorgonia ventalina and G. flabellum) of Florida, the Caribbean, and the West Indies
Examples of sea fan in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
There are sea fans, sea whips and other species, some of which will eventually grow as big as 6 feet tall when they're transplanted onto a major new project that's beginning to take shape in the Atlantic Ocean near Miami Beach.
—
Greg Allen, NPR, 21 Oct. 2025
Soft corals include species like the purple sea fan or branching corals without an outer skeleton.
—Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 16 Oct. 2025
Beneath the surface, angelfish shimmer and stingrays glide over kaleidoscopic reefs, while sea fans sway in the gentle current.
—Lewis Nunn, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2025
Purple sea fans waved beneath the surface while iridescent blue chromis, a type of damselfish, looked fit for a rave.
—Marlise Kast-Myers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Aug. 2025
Swim toward the white buoy at Rockley Beach, in the southwest, where sea fans sway and blue barber fish play among coral.
—Patrick Scott, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2025
The best dive sites are scattered around the Rancheria, Canales, and Contreras islands, home to a dazzling array of aquatic life: colorful sea fans, white-tip sharks, loggerhead turtles, and one of the largest reefs in Central America.
—Siobhan Reid, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 May 2024
Bright sunlight filtered through the turquoise water, and a sea fan swayed in the current.
—Washington Post, 25 June 2021
What’s left of the Mandalay is spread out in about 12 feet of aquarium-clear water, home to schools of colorful fish, gaudy purple sea fans and all sorts of reef flora and fauna.
—Bonnie Gross, sun-sentinel.com, 20 June 2019
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Greg Allen, NPR, 21 Oct. 2025
Soft corals include species like the purple sea fan or branching corals without an outer skeleton.
—Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 16 Oct. 2025
Beneath the surface, angelfish shimmer and stingrays glide over kaleidoscopic reefs, while sea fans sway in the gentle current.
—Lewis Nunn, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2025
Purple sea fans waved beneath the surface while iridescent blue chromis, a type of damselfish, looked fit for a rave.
—Marlise Kast-Myers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Aug. 2025
Swim toward the white buoy at Rockley Beach, in the southwest, where sea fans sway and blue barber fish play among coral.
—Patrick Scott, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2025
The best dive sites are scattered around the Rancheria, Canales, and Contreras islands, home to a dazzling array of aquatic life: colorful sea fans, white-tip sharks, loggerhead turtles, and one of the largest reefs in Central America.
—Siobhan Reid, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 May 2024
Bright sunlight filtered through the turquoise water, and a sea fan swayed in the current.
—Washington Post, 25 June 2021
What’s left of the Mandalay is spread out in about 12 feet of aquarium-clear water, home to schools of colorful fish, gaudy purple sea fans and all sorts of reef flora and fauna.
—Bonnie Gross, sun-sentinel.com, 20 June 2019
Cite this Entry
“Sea fan.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sea%20fan. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share