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 Copyright © Phillip Colla, all rights reserved worldwide. Purchase a print of this image Request a review copy of this image Keywords: algae, animal, animalia, california, california golden gorgonian, california sheephead, california sheephead wrasse, channel islands, coral, creature, environment, fish, fish anatomy, forest, giant kelp, gorgonian, habitat, invertebrate, kelp, kelp forest, macrocystis, macrocystis pyrifera, male - female difference, marine, marine algae, marine fish, marine invertebrate, marine plant, muricea californica, nature, ocean, oceans, offshore, outdoors, outside, pacific, pacific ocean, plant, san clemente island, scene, scenery, scenic, sea, sea fan, seaweed, semicossyphus pulcher, sheep-head wrasse, soft coral, southern channel islands, submarine, teleost fish, underwater, usa, wildlife, wrasse |