Iridogorgia sp. octocoral bush with two squat lobsters, Gulf of Mexico

Post-Performative Post-Scriptum

Iridogorgia are corals growing in the dark of the deep Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Part of their name comes from Greek ἶρις, ἰριδος, iris, iridos, “rainbow”, referring to their sometimes iridiscent colors. So they remind me of a Dio song that I’ve never heard but always liked the title of: “Rainbow in the Dark”. In this photo, I also like the contrast between the beauty of the coral and the grotesqueness of the squat lobsters.