These soft corals live in deep water and are usually only seen by divers, but late winter storms had cast some ashore amid heaps of kelp. This individual’s arrival had been unfortunately timed, coinciding with the worst storm of the year. Torn from the rocks by mountainous seas and surging currents, it had been left stranded in the seaweed. Facebook Twitter Pinterest A lumpsucker, revealing its sucker formed from fused pelvic fins. It too might have been caught out while spawning in shallow water, producing larvae to join the spring plankton.

Source: The Guardian March 16, 2017 05:26 UTC