An Umbellula sea pen at 2,790 meters (~9,155 feet) depth in Perdido Canyon. Sea pens (Pennatulacea) are octocorals that are adapted to live anchored in soft sediments. At the base of the long, thin stalk is a swollen region, called the peduncle, that helps hold the colony in position.
Sea Pen
Image courtesy of the NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, Gulf of Mexico 2018.
An Umbellula sea pen at 2,790 meters (~9,155 feet) depth in Perdido Canyon. Sea pens (Pennatulacea) are octocorals that are adapted to live anchored in soft sediments. At the base of the long, thin stalk is a swollen region, called the peduncle, that helps hold the colony in position. Download larger version (jpg, 1.6 MB).
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