Description
Deadmen`s fingers consist of colonies of small polyps. Each polyp ends with eight small tentacles. Older colonies are branched.
The polyps filters their food out of the water with extended tentacles. This animal is in fact a soft coral and their by the only native representative of this family in the Dutch waters. Several species of nidibranch like Tritonia hombergii and Tritonia plebeia feed on it.

Size
Young colonies start as a thin crust are up to 10 mm thick. Depending on current and age, they will erect to a height of 200 mm and a thickness of 35 mm.

Colour
The leather-like skin is white or orange. The polyps are transparent.

Habitat
Always on hard substrate and likes a strong current.

Distribution
North Atlantic ocean, from South Iceland, North Norway to Portugal.