MarLIN Marine Information Network Information on the and habitats around the coasts and sea of the British Isles

A (Arachnanthus sarsi)

MarLIN – Marine Life Information Network Marine Evidence–based Sensitivity Assessment (MarESA) Review

Emily Wilson

2007-09-03

A report from: The Marine Life Information Network, Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom.

Please note. This MarESA report is a dated version of the online review. Please refer to the website for the most up-to-date version [https://www.marlin.ac.uk/species/detail/1274]. All terms and the MarESA methodology are outlined on the website (https://www.marlin.ac.uk)

This review can be cited as: Wilson, E. 2007. Arachnanthus sarsi A sea anemone. In Tyler-Walters H. and Hiscock K. (eds) Marine Life Information Network: Biology and Sensitivity Key Information Reviews, [on-line]. Plymouth: Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. DOI https://dx.doi.org/10.17031/marlinsp.1274.1

The information (TEXT ONLY) provided by the Marine Life Information Network (MarLIN) is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-Share Alike 2.0 UK: England & Wales License. Note that images and other media featured on this page are each governed by their own terms and conditions and they may or may not be available for reuse. Permissions beyond the scope of this license are available here. Based on a work at www.marlin.ac.uk (page left blank) Date: 2007-09-03 A sea anemone (Arachnanthus sarsi) - Marine Life Information Network

See online review for distribution map

Arachnanthus sarsi with tentacles outstretched. Distribution data supplied by the Ocean Photographer: Bernard Picton Biogeographic Information System (OBIS). To Copyright: Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) interrogate UK data visit the NBN Atlas.

Researched by Emily Wilson Refereed by Admin Authority Carlgren, 1912 Other common - Synonyms - names

Summary

 Description

A large sea anemone, up to 20 cm high when fully expanded, that lives in a tube in the seabed. The tentacles are white-grey or pinkish in colour, often with diffuse brown bands. They are arranged in two cycles of 30 long outer and 30 shorter inner tentacles. The inner tentacles point inwards and upwards to form a cone and are dark brown on the inner surface. It is similar to lloydii but Arachnanthus sarsi is much larger and has fewer tentacles. The cone of inner tentacles is distinctive and readily distinguishes this species from Cerianthus lloydii. It may be partly nocturnal.

 Recorded distribution in Britain and Ireland Recorded only on the north coast of Ireland, the west of Scotland and the Hebrides.

 Global distribution This anemone was originally described from Norway, but no other distribution information was found.

 Habitat Lives in a parchment-like tube in mud, sand or shelly mud sediment at 10-36 m

https://www.marlin.ac.uk/habitats/detail/1274 3 Date: 2007-09-03 A sea anemone (Arachnanthus sarsi) - Marine Life Information Network

 Depth range 10-36

 Identifying features

Column long and slender, capable of great contraction, obvious aboral pore. Marginal tentacles rather stout forming single series at periphery of disc, from 30-34. Labial tentacles slightly longer than radius of disc when expanded, arranged in single series and point inward and upward to form cone.

 Additional information

May be conspecific with Arachnactis albida.

 Listed by    

 Further information sources

Search on:     NBN WoRMS

https://www.marlin.ac.uk/habitats/detail/1274 4 Date: 2007-09-03 A sea anemone (Arachnanthus sarsi) - Marine Life Information Network

Bibliography

Bourne, G. C., 1919. Observations on Arachnactis albida M. Sars. Quarterly Journal of Microscopical Science N.S. 64 27–65. Eleftheriou, A. & Basford, D.J., 1983. The general behaviour and feeding of Cerianthus lloydii Gosse (, Coelenterata). Cahiers de Biologie Marine, 24, 147-158. Howson, C.M. & Picton, B.E., 1997. The species directory of the marine fauna and flora of the British Isles and surrounding seas. Belfast: Ulster Museum. [Ulster Museum publication, no. 276.] Hughes, D.J., 1998a. Sea pens & burrowing megafauna (volume III). An overview of dynamics and sensitivity characteristics for conservation management of marine SACs. Natura 2000 report prepared for Scottish Association of Marine Science (SAMS) for the UK Marine SACs Project., Scottish Association for Marine Science. (UK Marine SACs Project). Available from: http://www.ukmarinesac.org.uk/publications.htm JNCC (Joint Nature Conservation Committee), 1999. Marine Environment Resource Mapping And Information Database (MERMAID): Marine Nature Conservation Review Survey Database. [on-line] http://www.jncc.gov.uk/mermaid Manuel, R.L., 1981. British Anthozoa. London: Academic Press.[Synopses of the British Fauna, no. 18.] Picton, B. E. & Manuel, R.L., 1985. Arachnanthus sarsi Carlgren, 1912: a redescription of a cerianthid anemone new to the British Isles. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 83, 343-349. Picton, B.E. & Morrow C.C., 2005. Encyclopedia of Marine Life of Britain and Ireland http://www.habitas.org.uk/marinelife/species.asp?item=D10920, 2008-01-08 Wood. C., 2005. Seasearch guide to sea anemones and corals of Britain and Ireland. Ross-on-Wye: Marine Conservation Society.

Datasets

NBN (National Biodiversity Network) Atlas. Available from: https://www.nbnatlas.org. OBIS (Ocean Biogeographic Information System), 2019. Global map of species distribution using gridded data. Available from: Ocean Biogeographic Information System. www.iobis.org. Accessed: 2019-03-12

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