One of several hundred known species of sea pen (order Pennatulacea). These colonial octocorals are adapted to live in soft sediments with a peduncle that penetrates down into the sediment to keep it in place, where it can filter food out of the water flowing over it. This one was seen during the Illuminating Biodiversity in Deep Waters of Puerto Rico 2022 expedition.
Sea Pen
Image courtesy of Illuminating Biodiversity in Deep Waters of Puerto Rico 2022.
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One of several hundred known species of sea pen (order Pennatulacea). These colonial octocorals are adapted to live in soft sediments with a peduncle that penetrates down into the sediment to keep it in place, where it can filter food out of the water flowing over it. This one was seen during the Illuminating Biodiversity in Deep Waters of Puerto Rico 2022 expedition.