Three Species of Intertidal Sea Anemones (Anthozoa: Actiniidae) from the Tropical Pacific: Description of Anthopleura buddemeieri, n. sp., with Remarks on Anthopleura asiatica and Gyractis sesere1 Daphne Gail Fautin2 Abstract: A new species of sea anemone, Anthopleura buddemeieri Fautin, is de- scribed from Fiji and Papua New Guinea. Occurring high in the intertidal zone, a typical individual has a column rich brown in color and marked with longitu- dinal rows of red spots. Occurring in the same habitat, at least in Papua New Guinea, is a sea anemone known in the tropical Indo-Pacific from Aden to Ha- wai‘i, the valid name of which is Gyractis sesere. Some records of Anthopleura asi- atica may refer to A. buddemeieri but some clearly do not; because the name appears to have been applied to more than one species, the original description lacks critical information, and no type material exists, the name Anthopleura asi- atica is considered a nomen dubium. Anthopleura buddemeieri Fautin, n. sp., is mal [Figure 1]) and hercules.kgs.ku.edu/hexa an inconspicuous but distinctive solitary sea coral/anemone2/images/05851_05900/05881 anemone that reaches a maximum column di- .jpg (margin [Figure 2]). This color pattern is ameter and length of 25 mm. It lives at the similar to that of two other species of Antho- level of the highest tide under stones and in pleura, A. ballii (Cocks, 1851), which occurs in holes on rocky shores. I have found it on the the British Isles, and A. krebsi Duchassaing & north and south coasts of New Guinea and in Michelotti, 1860, which occurs from the Fiji; presumably it is widespread through the southeastern United States to Brazil, and to tropical western Pacific. It is modestly abun- the species called Actinia sanguineopunctata dant (perhaps 10–50 mÀ2) where I have found Templeton, 1841 known from Mauritius. De- it but is absent in most places that appear to tails of anatomy distinguish A. buddemeieri, n. have suitable habitat. sp., from those species. It also resembles some Its rich brown column with vertical rows specimens referred to the species A. asiatica of red spots distinguish A. buddemeieri, n. sp., Uchida & Muramatsu, 1958, which was de- from other small intertidal sea anemones of scribed from Japan and has been recorded the tropical Pacific. Color images are on line from India, but information on it is ambigu- at hercules.kgs.ku.edu/hexacoral/anemone2/ ous, making it impossible to determine what images/05851_05900/05882.jpg (whole ani- species was meant by Uchida and Muramatsu (1958) as well as others who have used the name. Occurring with Anthopleura buddemeieri, n. 1 This research was supported by grants from the Christensen Research Institute and the U.S. National sp., in some places is an anemone that was Science Foundation (DEB 95-21819 and 99-78106 in referred to by me (as Dunn [1974], Fautin the program Partnerships to Enhance Expertise in Tax- [1988]) as Actiniogeton sesere and by England onomy and OCE 00-03970 through the National Ocean- (1987) as Gyractis excavata. The valid name ographic Partnership Program). Manuscript accepted 1 July 2004. of the species is Gyractis sesere (Haddon & 2 Natural History Museum and Biodiversity Research Shackleton, 1893). Center, and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 66045. materials and methods Pacific Science (2005), vol. 59, no. 3:379–391 Specimens of A. buddemeieri, n. sp., were : 2005 by University of Hawai‘i Press collected by hand and examined alive, then All rights reserved preserved in 10% formalin in seawater. His- 379 (V7(M) 15/3/05 10:33) UHP/U J-1231 Pacific Science, 59:3 PMU: WSL(W) 7/1/05 AC1: WSL 2/3/05 (7"Â10") (0).3.05.05 Janson pp. 379–392 Ch03_P (p. 379) 380 PACIFIC SCIENCE . July 2005 tological sections 8 mm thick were stained coels number 5–8, with distalmost one on with hematoxylin and eosin (Humason marginal projection; those along exocoels 1979). Cnidae were measured in squash prep- number 3–5 and do not extend to margin arations at 1000Â with differential interfer- (Figure 1). Spots in middle one-third of col- ence contrast optics. umn transitional in form, size, and arrange- In Fiji, animals were collected in Laucala ment. Bay, Suva, just off the campus of the Marine Deep fosse. Simple digitiform, brown mar- Studies Programme, University of the South ginal projection at distal end of each endo- Pacific (18 90 S, 178 27 0 E). They were col- coel; typically, therefore, number 48 per lected at two places in Papua New Guinea individual. Distalmost of each row of red (PNG): the seaward shore of Wongat Island, verrucae occupies the adoral side of the pro- Madang Lagoon, Madang Province (5 10.2 0 jection, and a pink acrorhagus (containing S, 145 50.40 E), and the beach of the labora- dense holotrichs and some spirocysts) bulges tory on Motupore Island, Bootless Bay, Cen- from its oral side (Figures 2, 3). tral Province (9 31.30 S, 147 17.1 0 E). In all Column diameter to as much as 25 mm places, the anemones lived at the highest but typically 10–15 mm; smallest animal seen levels of the intertidal zone, attached to a 4 mm diameter. Commonly pedal and oral rocky substratum, under stones (in Laucala discs equal diameter, but column tapers from Bay and Bootless Bay) or in the crevices of basal end to about one-half basal diameter uplifted coral reefs (on Wongat Island). just below oral disc; uncommonly column Specimens of A. buddemeieri, n. sp., have equal diameter entire length. Column half been deposited in the California Academy of as long as or as long as column diameter. In Sciences, San Francisco, California (cas), U.S. contraction, distal part of column typically National Museum of Natural History, Wash- narrows and retracts; animal may appear ington, D.C. (usnm), University of Kansas dome-shaped. Natural History Museum, Lawrence, Kansas Column of preserved specimens gray or (kunhm), and Natural History Museum tan with white verrucae and marginal projec- of the University of the South Pacific, Suva, tions. Fiji (usp). Specimens of Gyractis sesere, cata- Pedal disc: Color light tan (paler than col- loged as Actiniogeton sesere, exist in cas (cata- umn) to pink in life with red radial stripes es- log numbers 5327, 9963, and 16600 from pecially pronounced at periphery; stripes may Hawai‘i, and 97387, 97390, and 97393 from be absent in center. Lines may run distally PNG). onto limbus where they can be so dense that Cnidae terminology is that of Mariscal they appear to be a red line encircling it. (1974). Mesenterial insertions visible through ex- panded pedal disc as light lines. results Oral disc and tentacles: Oral disc solid brown or gray. Mouth central, in some indi- Anthopleura buddemeieri Fautin, n. sp. viduals raised on oral cone. Two symmetrical description: Column: Larger animals siphonoglyphs; in life, tan to white (color of rich brown color in life, smaller ones tan to actinopharynx). Mesenterial insertions visible gray; mesenterial insertions visible as light through expanded oral disc as dark lines. lines in expanded individuals; animals of all Tentacles primarily near margin. sizes with red punctations. In proximal one- Tentacles without pattern: proximal part third of column, red spots scattered, varied rich brown or gray of oral disc; distal one- in size but most smaller than distal ones, ir- third to one-half shading to red; red cast less regular in shape so some elongate ones ap- prominent in outer than in inner tentacles. pear as streaks. In distal one-third of column, Maximum of 102 tentacles counted; smaller red spots circular, all about equal size, in lon- individuals typically with 48, larger with 96. gitudinal rows, each marking a histologically Inner longer than outer ones (Figure 1). specialized patch; spots aligned along endo- Slender, taper to blunt point; longest ten- (V7(M) 15/3/05 10:34) UHP/U J-1231 Pacific Science, 59:3 PMU: WSL(W) 7/1/05 AC1: WSL 2/3/05 (7"Â10") (0).3.05.05 Janson pp. 379–392 Ch03_P (p. 380) Figure 1. Anthopleura buddemeieri: whole animal, alive. From campus of the University of the South Pacific, Suva, Fiji. Photograph by Adorian Ardelean. Color version on line at Web site address given in text. (V7(M) 15/3/05 10:34) UHP/U J-1231 Pacific Science, 59:3 PMU: WSL(W) 7/1/05 AC1: WSL 2/3/05 (7"Â10") (0).3.05.05 Janson pp. 379–392 Ch03_P (p. 381) 382 PACIFIC SCIENCE . July 2005 Figure 2. Anthopleura buddemeieri: margin of live animal showing simple marginal projection and acrorhagus. From campus of the University of the South Pacific, Suva, Fiji. Photograph by Adorian Ardelean. Color version on line at Web site address given in text. tacles equal to column length: typically 10–15 directive mesenteries (Figure 4). All mesen- mm long by 1–2 mm basal diameter. teries except those of highest order and direc- In preservation, tentacles may contract tives fertile; sexes separate. Equal number of greatly or have a blunt or nipplelike end; mesenteries distally and proximally. Large oral disc solid gray. oral, small to absent marginal stomata. Acti- Internal anatomy: To 48 pairs of mesen- nopharynx longitudinally ribbed, typical in teries regularly arrayed in four cycles; only appearance; siphonoglyphs slightly elongate. those of first cycle complete. In two speci- Azooxanthellate. mens with two pairs of symmetrically arrayed Cnidom: Spirocysts, basitrichs, holotrichs, directives 39, 44 mesenteries counted; a spec- microbasic b-mastigophores, microbasic p- imen with 27 pairs of mesenteries had three mastigophores.