Porpita umbela hydrozoan, light micrograph. This is a small specimen of this colonial marine organism, which consists of a collection of specialised p

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Porpita umbela hydrozoan, light micrograph. This is a small specimen of this colonial marine organism, which consists of a collection of specialised polyps. A mature colony can be 8 centimetres in diameter. The hydrozoan's pneumatophore (buoyancy structure, centre, dark) is disc-shaped. Below this is the feeding polyp, surrounded by reproductive polyps and sensory polyps (tentacle-like structures) arranged in rings of several rows. This hydrozoan is found in the Mediterranean and Atlantic areas, where it occurs in great shoals. Magnification: x14 when printed at 10 centimetres across.

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Size: 5616px × 3744px
Photo credit: © DR KEITH WHEELER/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

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