Strange Coral: A Gallery of Sea Pens
Shrimp Stopover
A shrimp rests on the polyp leaves of this nocturnal Virgularia sea pen near Maricaban Island, Philippines. This sea pen measures about 4 inches (10.2 centimeters).
Deep Sea Dwellers
While some sea pens live in shallow water, others inhabit the dark, cold depths. They have been found as deep as 20,013 feet (6,100 meters) underwater, where they wait in the dark for the rain of tiny, dead plankton. This Umbellula was take from water 1,020 feet deep (311 meters) off Lubang Island, Philippines.
Dark, Cold Depths
This species of Umbellula lives in the pitch black water near Antarctica, where it grows to 10 feet (3 meters) long with a big head of polyps that is pushed along in the current.
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