Strange Animal

Went to LFS today looking for some CC stars to feed my Harlequins...He did not have any and knowing I was disappointed, he offered one of these for 5$...I took it not knowing anything about them or even remembered seeing one...hope it is not too hard to keep alive or I will have wasted some $. (won't be first time, or last )

SEA PEN​

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(From Wikipedia)

Sea pens are colonial marine cnidarians belonging to the order Pennatulacea. There are 14 families within the order; they are thought to have a cosmopolitan distribution in tropical and temperate waters worldwide. Sea pens are grouped with the octocorals ("soft corals"), together with sea whips and sea feathers.


Uprooted sea pen with the bulbous peduncle in viewAlthough named after their feather-like appearance reminiscent of antique quill pens, only sea pen species belonging to the suborder Subselliflorae live up to the comparison. Those belonging to the much larger suborder Sessiliflorae lack feathery structures and grow in club-like or radiating forms. The latter suborder includes what are commonly known as sea pansies.

As octocorals, sea pens are composed of physiologic structures called polyps (which look somewhat like miniature sea anemones), each with eight tentacles. Unlike other octocorals, however, a sea pen's polyps are specialized to specific functions: a single polyp develops into a rigid, erect stalk (the rachis) and loses its tentacles, forming a bulbous "root" or peduncle at its base. Other polyps branch out from this central stalk, forming water intake structures (siphonozooids), feeding structures (autozooids) with nematocysts, and reproductive structures. The entire colony is fortified by calcium carbonate in the form of spicules and a central axial rod.


Sea pen at Vancouver Aquarium.Using their root-like peduncles to anchor themselves in sandy or muddy substrate, the exposed portion of sea pens may rise up to 2 metres in some species, such as the tall sea pen (Funiculina quadrangularis). Sea pens are sometimes brightly coloured; the orange sea pen (Ptilosarcus gurneyi) is a notable example. Rarely found above depths of 10 metres, Sea pens prefer deeper waters where turbulence is less likely to uproot them. Some species may inhabit depths of 2,000 metres or more.

While generally sessile animals, sea pens are able to relocate and re-anchor themselves if need be. They position themselves favourably in the path of currents, ensuring a steady flow of plankton, the sea pens' chief source of food. Their primary predators are nudibranchs and starfish, some of which feed exclusively on sea pens. When touched, sea pens emit a bright greenish light; this is known as bioluminescence. They may also force water out of themselves as a defensive act, deflating and retreating into their peduncle.

 

Wow that is one weird thing!! Never heard of one before, let alone seen one!! Good luck keeping it alive!!

 

Treat and feed them like a gorgonian. Lots-o-plankton

 

There pretty cool
My LFS gets them occasionally. So weird to see how they can be 1" or 7" at any given point.

 

i think you need like a 12-18 sand bed for those.i read a magazine about them once an decided not to bother.

 

ok found the magazine.tropical fih hobbiest april 2006 page 80.they need strong current and lots of fine food,baby brine are too big.try rotifers or similar sized stuff several times a week.with small types you can get away with as little as 4 inches of very fine sand or mud.with bigger ones you'll need a foot deep and it says if you don't have this suitable mud or sand bed for them to borrow in,not to bother trying one.i don't think they require light at all.they will drift around till they get stung or get sucked up without the fine sand.