MCS: Lancashire area group

Right: Photograph of the phosphorescent sea pen Pennatula phosphorea (L.) by Ron Crosby.

The phosphorescent sea pen lives on soft, muddy bottoms, generally below 20m in depth. On each of the arms is a row of white, tentacled polyps, which can be seen clearly in the photograph. Each polyp has a very similar structure to the larger sea anemones.