Bamboo Sea Pen [Virgularia gustaviana]
Description
The Bamboo Sea Pen, scientifically known as Virgularia gustaviana, is a species of sea pen in the family Virgulariidae. It is characterized by a long, slender, and rigid central axis made of a unique form of calcium carbonate, giving the appearance of a quill or old-fashioned feathered pen. This species is typically found in soft substrates in deep waters, where it anchors itself into the sediment. During the day, it retracts into the sediment for protection and emerges at night to feed. It is a sessile, filter-feeding organism that catches plankton and detritus from the water column with its polyps.
Taxonomy
| Phylum |
Jellyfish, Sea Anemones, and Relatives
Cnidaria
|
|---|---|
| Class |
Sea Anemones and Corals
Anthozoa
|
| Order |
Sea Pens
Pennatulacea
|
| Family |
Vinyl Sea Pens
Virgulariidae
|
| Genus |
Bamboo Sea Pen
Scytaliopsis
|