Sea pansies can be found in the warmer areas of the Pacific and Atlantic coasts.
Sea pansies are fleshy, leaf-shaped colonies of marine organisms that belong to the genus Renilla, which belongs to the same phylum Cnidaria as jellyfish and corals. In fact, they are not a flower, but a type of soft coral known as Pennatulacea. Aggregate organisms are considered, which is a colony made up of numerous individuals.
Sea pansy colonies consist of stems made up of large organisms called primary polyps, which can be up to 2 inches in diameter. These primary polyps have a fleshy structure called a peduncle that extends from the bottom of the main colony. The stem is thrown into the sand to anchor the thoughts to the bottom of the ocean.
Sea pansies are a type of coral.
The pansy-like body that marine pansies are named for is actually made up of several types of smaller secondary polyps. Some of these secondary polyps are responsible for feeding thought. These foraging polyps spread out above the sand and secrete a sticky mucus to capture any tiny zooplankton and organic matter that come near. Each food polyp sends its food to a common digestive system, so the entire colony eats or starves together.
Small white dots are found between the feeding polyps. These light particles are a specialized polyp that acts as a kind of water pump or outlet valve that deflates and inflates the entire colony. This is useful when the sea pansy is threatened by a predator or gets caught on a sandbar at low tide.
Sea pansies have stems that are red, blue, or purple and dotted with bright white polyps. Sea pansies are remarkably bioluminescent when touched or attacked by a predator. This bioluminescence is caused by Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP). This protein generates waves of bright green light that pulse outward from the point of contact. These pulses of light often help distract potential predators.
These unusual creatures are typically found in the warmer areas of the Pacific and Atlantic coasts and are sometimes referred to as “Atlantic corals.” These organisms begin life as planktonic larvae hatching from the same egg. All polyps are clones of each other. As sea pansy matures, it moves into shallower sandy plains through contractions throughout the colony. These organisms love to anchor themselves in sandy flats and are often found living completely buried in the sand.