This fan is flattened and has curving branches which all tend to grow in the same plane. It may be mustard yellow to orange and when feeding the extended polypsgivethe fan a fuzzy appearance. It may grow up to 1m tall and have branches of 0.7 to 1 cm wide.
This fan usually grows in deeper water, sheltered from wave action. It is preyed upon by the whip fan nudibranch, Tritonia nilsodhneri, which strongly resembles the feeding fan.