Slender Sea Pen Virgularia mirabilis
The muddy bottoms of sheltered sea lochs in Scotland and Norway are often carpeted in dense beds of slender sea pens. This species has a structure similar to the orange sea pen but has a much thinner central stalk and thin branches. Almost half the stalk is buried in the sediment and the colony can withdraw into the sediment if disturbed.
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- Class Anthozoa
- Height Up to 24 in (60 cm)
- Depth 33–1,300 ft (10–400 m)
- Habitat Sediment
- Distribution Temperate waters of northeastern Atlantic and Mediterranean
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