Burrowing Sea Anemone – Edwardsia delapiae

, Burrowing Sea Anemone, Edwardsia delapiae

Afghanistan, Alaska, Algeria, Andaman and Nicobar, Angola, Antarctica, Antigua and Barbuda, Arctic, Argentina, Ascension Island, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Azores Islands, Bangladesh, Belarus, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Canary Islands, Cayman Islands, Central African Republic, Chile, China, Cocos Islands, Comoros, Congo, Cook Islands, Corsica Island, Crete Island, Croatia, Curaçao, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, El Salvador, England, Equatorial Guinea, Falkland Islands, Faroe Islands, Finland, France, French Polynesia, Gabon, Galapagos Islands, Germany, Ghana, Gibraltar, Greece, Greenland, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Hawaii, Honduras, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Italy, Ivory Coast, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Macedonia, Madagascar, Madeira Islands, Malawi, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Moldova, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Norfolk Island, North Korea, Northern Ireland, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Reunion Island, Romania, Russia, Saint Martin, São Tomé and Príncipe, Sardinia Island, Scotland, Senegal, Serbia, Sicily Island, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, South Georgia And The South Sandwich Islands, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Tonga, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Turks and Caicos Islands, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States Minor Outlying Islands, Uruguay, US Minor Islands, USA, Uzbekistan, Vatican City, Venezuela, Vietnam, Virgin Islands, Wales, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Amvrakikos Gulf, Andaman Sea, Arabian Sea, Aral Sea, Arctic Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Baltic Sea, Barents Sea, Bay of Bengal, Bay of Biscay, Beaufort Sea, Bering Sea, Black Sea, Bohai Sea, Cantabrian Sea, Celtic Sea, Chukchi Sea, Coral Sea, Dead Sea, English Channel, German Bight, Great Barrier Reef, Greenland Sea, Gulf of Aden, Gulf of Fonseca, Gulf of Maine, Gulf of Mexico, Gulf of Saint Lawrence, Halmahera Sea, Iberian Sea, Indian Ocean, Java Sea, Korinthiakos Gulf, Labrador Sea, Levantine Sea, Lingayan Gulf, Mediterranean Sea, Moro Gulf, Okhotsk Sea, Pacific Ocean, Pagassitikos Gulf, Salish Sea, Saronikos Gulf, Scotia Sea, Sea of Azov, Sea of Marmara, Siberian Sea, South China Sea, Southern Ocean, Thermaikos Gulf

The Burrowing Sea Anemone, scientifically known as Edwardsia delapiae, is a fascinating and elusive creature that thrives in the depths of the ocean. This anemone, a member of the class Hexacorallia, order Actiniaria, and family Edwardsiidae, exhibits unique characteristics and behaviors that make it a captivating subject of study for marine biologists.

Description & Characteristics

Edwardsia delapiae is characterized by its slender, cylindrical body, typically reaching a maximum size of a few centimeters. This anemone possesses a smooth, translucent body, often displaying a pale or yellowish hue. The oral disc, located at the top of the body, features numerous tentacles arranged in a circular pattern. These tentacles serve as sensory organs and assist in capturing prey.

Habitat and Occurrence

Edwardsia delapiae is a burrowing anemone, preferring to dwell within soft sediment substrates, such as mud or sand. This anemone is commonly found in intertidal zones and shallow subtidal areas, often inhabiting depths ranging from the surface to around 20 meters. Edwardsia delapiae is particularly abundant in the northeastern Atlantic Ocean, where it thrives in the cooler waters of the North Sea and adjacent regions. This species is often found in the infralittoral zone, the submerged portion of the seashore that is periodically exposed and submerged by tides, and the circalittoral zone, which lies below the infralittoral zone and is perpetually submerged.

Taxonomy

The species Edwardsia delapiae belongs to the Class: Hexacorallia, Order: Actiniaria, and Family: Edwardsiidae. This classification reflects its evolutionary relationships with other cnidarians, specifically those with a hexamerous body plan and a characteristic stinging apparatus composed of nematocysts.

Feeding

Edwardsia delapiae is a predatory anemone, relying on a diet of small invertebrates. Its tentacles are equipped with stinging cells (nematocysts) that paralyze prey. This burrowing anemone primarily feeds on crustaceans such as copepods, amphipods, and mysids, as well as other zooplankton. The anemone captures prey by extending its tentacles and using its nematocysts to subdue the victim, then drawing it into its mouth.

Associated Species

Image References

Leave a Comment