RM
Red gorgonian
Red gorgonian (Lophogorgia chilensis) in a giant kelp forest. A gorgonian is a colonial cnidarian related to corals. The feathery white bodies on the gorgonian are the feeding tentacles of the tiny polyps that make up the colony. The tentacles filter food particles from the water. Giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) is a huge alga that forms forests in the clear temperate waters of the west coast of North America. It can reach 60 metres in height and grow at a rate of 30 centimetres each day. Photographed off California, USA.
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