From an enclosed, egg-like fruiting body, the developing receptacle of Clathrus archeri begins to emerge. Elongated red arms push outward, gradually extending and separating as the compact structure transforms into the unmistakable form commonly known as Devil’s Fingers or the octopus stinkhorn.
Recorded in time-lapse, the sequence captures an unusual lateral development, with its arms reaching across the frame in an almost tentacular movement – a stage of fungal development that is easy to miss in real time. The atypical trajectory gives the observation a distinctly sculptural quality, balancing biological documentation with the visual tension captured in the accompanying photographic work.
Explore Tension in Red – Devil’s Fingers (Clathrus archeri)
As the arms develop, dark olive-brown gleba becomes visible along their inner surfaces. This spore-bearing material produces the powerful carrion-like odour characteristic of the species, attracting flies and other insects that contribute to spore dispersal. During the indoor recording, the odour became increasingly difficult to ignore and ultimately limited the duration of the observation.
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