What is peniculata?

Peniculata is a class of microscopic marine animals commonly known as sea pens. These animals have a soft cylindrical body that is often brightly colored, with a central stalk and numerous branches or tentacles surrounding the main body. They are found in shallow to deep waters around the world, typically living in colonies attached to the ocean floor or other solid surfaces. Sea pens are filter feeders, using their tentacles to capture plankton and other small organisms from the water. They are important members of many marine ecosystems, providing habitat for other organisms and serving as an indicator species for ocean health. Some species of sea pens are also used in biomedical research due to their unique structure and biological properties.