RaceRocks.com
Videocams Ecosystems History First nations Sponsors
Management Home

Ptilosarcus gurneyi

THE RACE ROCKS TAXONOMY
Videocams
Archives
Technology
Events
Dailylog
Sitemap
Domain Eukarya
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Cnidaria
Class Anthozoa
Order Pennatulacea
Suborder Subselliflorae
Family Pennatulidae
Genus Ptilosarcus
Species gurneyi
Common Name: Sea Pen
Click on the image for short video clip of the sea pen in its habitat near Race Rocks.
General Description:

The sea pen, Ptilosarcus gurneyi, is a colonial cnidaria in the same class as the anemone, the anthozoa. One polyp has been modified to form the body while the fringes of the "feather" contain numerous small feeding polyps.

Habital:

Sea pens are marine organisms: typically they are found living in a mud/sand substrate at least 3 inches (7.6 cm) deep. It is rare around Race Rocks, with a few individuals occuring on the North-West corner of Great Race Island. Note the small burrowing tubeworms in the mud around the organism.

Feeding:

The polyps feed on detritus, zooplankton (baby artemia), and possibly (according to The Reef Aquarium Vol. Two) phytoplankton.You should offer your Sea Pen Artemia nauplii, Daphnia, pulverized flake food, and detritus stirred up from the bottom of the tank.

Predator:

Predators of the sea pen are two nudibranchs, one the very large 3 inches(7cm) nudibranch, Armina californica and the other Mediaster aequalis, Rose Star Crossaster papposus and the Leather Star Dermasterras imbriacata.

Reproduction:

We don't know the reproduction of sea pens whether by sexual or asexual means.

References:

http://www.fishroom.com/library/seapen.html

http://www.lanecc.edu/science/zonation/seapen.htm

This file is provided as part of a collaborative effort by the students of Lester B. Pearson College Dec 2002 Joshua Columbus (Burma) Year (29)
Back to
The Race Rocks Taxonomy
Copyright
Lester B. Pearson College