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ALEXANDRE MEINESZ

Dead man's fingers

In Dive.Explo360: Mediterranean · Northeast Atlantic · Atlantic Ocean

On rocky or shelly seabeds, Dead man's fingers catches the eye with fleshy cream or yellowish branches. When its polyps are extended, the colony takes on a striking velvety appearance. It filters plankton and adds relief and life to the underwater landscape.

Habitat de Dead man's fingers Habitat
Sand, Detrital bottom
Profondeur de Dead man's fingers Depth
20-200 m
Groupe biologique de Dead man's fingers Group
Cnidarian
Rôle écologique de Dead man's fingers Role
Predator

WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE?

This soft colony often resembles a hand with thick, irregular fingers, upright or slightly tilted. It consists of a trunk from which several rounded lobes extend. Its colour generally varies from creamy white to yellowish, sometimes with pinkish or orange shades. The paler base, without visible polyps, provides anchorage, while the upper part is covered in numerous small polyps giving a fluffy appearance when open.

WHERE DOES IT LIVE?

It lives attached to hard supports. On sandy or detrital seabeds, it can settle on small solid objects such as pebbles, shell fragments or other debris, sometimes partly buried in the sediment. It also occurs in rocky areas, often where currents bring food.

WHAT DOES IT EAT?

It feeds on small particles suspended in the water, mainly plankton. Its polyps extend their feathery tentacles to capture these nutrients, which are then shared by the whole colony.

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