Tall sea pen ( Funiculina quadrangularis ) – rivalling the fireworks anemone as an impressive sight , curving up elegantly above the mud , this sea pen can be up to two metres tall . Very vulnerable and badly affected by bottom fishing , it is thought to have been much more common in the past . If I end up at a harbour during a trip , the sight of dead sea pens littering the decks of scampi trawlers brings me down from my postdive euphoric mood with a bump ! Fries ’ s goby ( Lesueurigobius friesii ) – this attractive but very shy fish may give you only the briefest glimpse of its distinctive yellowgold spots before diving for cover down a hole in the mud . Although apparently capable of making its own burrow , it usually inhabits the homes of scampi , where its alert behaviour makes it a valuable sentinel for the crustacean . Presumably , the goby benefits from scraps of food in return .
Three tall sea pens with their characteristic gentle curve
Rich marine life on the muddy floor of Loch Duich
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