Tiefseefächern

Tiefseefächern refers to a group of marine invertebrates belonging to the class Anthozoa, commonly known as sea fans. These organisms are found in deep-sea environments, typically at depths ranging from a few hundred to several thousand meters. They are sessile, meaning they attach themselves to a substrate such as rocks or the seabed and remain in one place for their entire adult lives.

Sea fans are characterized by their distinctive fan-like or branching structures, which are formed by a skeleton of gorgonian, a protein-like material. This structure serves as a framework for the colony of polyps that make up the individual organism. The polyps are small, cylindrical animals with a ring of tentacles around their mouths. These tentacles are used to capture small planktonic organisms drifting in the water currents.

The color of deep-sea sea fans can vary widely, with many exhibiting vibrant hues of red, purple, orange, and yellow. This coloration is thought to be a result of pigments that absorb the limited light available at these depths, or it may be related to their diet. They play a crucial role in deep-sea ecosystems by providing habitat and shelter for a variety of other marine life, including small fish and crustaceans. Their delicate structures are often swayed by deep-sea currents, contributing to the dynamic nature of these underwater environments.