• Kingdom: Animalia
  • Phylum: Cnidaria
  • Class: Anthozoa
  • Subclass: Octocorallia
  • Order: Pennatulacea
  • Suborder: Sessiliflorae
  • Family: Kophobelemnidae
  • Scientific name: Kophobelemnon stelliferum
  • Norwegian: hanefot

Characteristics:

This characteristic sea pen can hardly be confused with any other sea pen in Norwegian waters. The polyps grow directly from the stalk. The white or pale brownish or sometimes purple polyps are larger than on the tall sea pen. The colony can grow to a length of 75 cm, but most of the animal is buried in the mud.

Habitat:

As most other sea pens in Norway, K. stelliferum thrives on muddy substrate, on depths ranging from 25 meters to 1600 meters.

Distribution:

This species is well known from the East Atlantic Ocean as well as the Mediterranean. In Norway, it is registered as far north as Troms.