▁small ▁patch es ▁or ▁tu ft s ▁on ▁the ▁surface ▁of ▁shell s ▁and ▁stones , ▁and ▁enc ir cling ▁the ▁fr onds ▁of ▁red ▁alg ae ▁such ▁as ▁Mas to car pus ▁stell atus . ▁The ▁zo oid s ▁are ▁pack ed ▁closely ▁together , ▁are ▁cyl ind rical ▁and ▁about ▁. ▁Each ▁one ▁has ▁a ▁min eral ized ▁ex os ke leton ▁with ▁a ▁transparent , ▁memb ran ous ▁o val ▁window . ▁The ▁calc ified ▁protect ive ▁covering ▁be ars ▁about ▁nine ▁sp ines ▁( four ▁to ▁twelve ), ▁the ▁central ▁one ▁being ▁much ▁longer ▁than ▁the ▁others , ▁giving ▁the ▁col ony ▁a ▁hair y ▁( Lat in ▁pil osa ) ▁appearance . ▁ ▁Distribution ▁Elect ra ▁pil osa ▁is ▁native ▁to ▁the ▁n ort he astern ▁and ▁the ▁north western ▁Atlantic ▁Ocean , ▁the ▁Mediter rane an ▁Sea , ▁the ▁North ▁Sea , ▁the ▁W ad den ▁Sea , ▁the ▁White ▁Sea ▁and ▁the ▁Bar ents ▁Sea . ▁It ▁is ▁also ▁present ▁in ▁Australia ▁and ▁New ▁Zealand ▁where ▁it ▁is ▁regarded ▁as ▁an ▁introduced ▁species . ▁It ▁is ▁found ▁from ▁the ▁inter tid al ▁zone ▁of ▁shelter ed ▁rock y ▁sh ores ▁down ▁to ▁depth s ▁of ▁about ▁. ▁ ▁Bi ology ▁A ▁col ony ▁starts ▁when ▁a ▁lar va ▁sett les ▁on ▁a ▁suitable ▁surface ▁and ▁under go es ▁met am orph osis ▁into ▁an ▁anc estr ula . ▁This ▁forms ▁daughter ▁zo oid s ▁by ▁bud ding ▁and ▁the ▁col ony ▁grows ▁by ▁a sex ual