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More Muricea californica, Semicossyphus pulcher:
California golden gorgonian and small juvenile sheephead fishes on rocky reef, below kelp forest, underwater. The golden gorgonian is a filter-feeding temperate colonial species that lives on the rocky bottom at depths between 50 to 200 feet deep. Each individual polyp is a distinct animal, together they secrete calcium that forms the structure of the colony. Gorgonians are oriented at right angles to prevailing water currents to capture plankton drifting by. San Clemente Island, USA
Stock Photo: 23421
Species: California golden gorgonian, Muricea californica, Semicossyphus pulcher
Location: San Clemente Island, California, USA
Format: Digital 3:2
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