Stomphia coccinea

Stomphia coccinea is a small reddish, orange or brownish sea anemone in the family Actinostolidae from the North Atlantic, North Pacific and Arctic Ocean. It can swim away when necessary in order to escape a predator.

Stomphia coccinea
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Cnidaria
Class: Anthozoa
Order: Actiniaria
Family: Actinostolidae
Genus: Stomphia
Species:
S. coccinea
Binomial name
Stomphia coccinea
Müller, 1776
Synonyms
List
  • Actinia carneola Stimpson, 1853
  • Actinia coccinea Müller, 1776
  • Actinia nitida Dawson, 1858
  • Cylista coccinea (Müller, 1776)
  • Kylindrosactis elegans Danielssen, 1890
  • Sagartia repens Danielssen, 1890
  • Stomophia coccinea
  • Stomphia carneola (Stimpson, 1853)
  • Stomphia churchiae Gosse, 1859

Morphology

The specific name ‘coccinea’ means ‘scarlet’ and refers to the anemone's distinctive often reddish and orange-striped coloration both on the column and on its up to 80 tentacles. The anemone can grow to a size of 6 cm in diameter, but the anemone has a very flat appearance when retracted.

Ecology

This species attaches itself to rocks and shells, with the most common substrate in northern Europe being the shell of the horse mussel Modiolus modiolus, where, as a suspension feeder it consumes planktonic material. When there is an attack from one of its predators, such as a starfish, or an individual of the nudibranch species Aeolidia papillosa or Eubranchus exiguus, it can release the grip of its disc and float away. If it is successful in escaping, it will soon after attach to a new substrate.[1]

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References
  1. Manual, R.L. (1988). British Anthozoa. London: Academic Press. [Synopses of the British Fauna No. 18.]
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