Pachycerianthus fimbriatus

Pachycerianthus fimbriatus is a cerianthid anemone that burrows in substrate and lives in a semi-rigid tube made of felted nematocysts. The anemone is often seen in bright orange to red.

Pachycerianthus fimbriatus
At Monterey Bay, CA, USA.
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Cnidaria
Class: Anthozoa
Subclass: Ceriantharia
Order: Spirularia
Family: Cerianthidae
Genus: Pachycerianthus
Species:
P. fimbriatus
Binomial name
Pachycerianthus fimbriatus
McMurrich, 1910[1]
Synonyms
  • Cerianthus elongatus Kwietniewski, 1898
  • Pachycerianthus plicatus Carlgren, 1924

Like most anemones, the tube-dwelling anemone contains stinging cells or nematocytes along its tentacles, however, the cells are not toxic to humans.

The ceriantharia possess two whorls of tentacles, one surrounding the mouth (labial tentacles) and one at the edge of the oral disc (marginal tentacles).

Distribution

This species was described from Indonesia. It is considered to be synonymous with Pachycerianthus plicatus which was described from the Pacific Ocean coast of North America.[2]

Biology

Pachycerianthus fimbriatus feeds on small crustaceans. The giant nudibranch Dendronotus iris has been documented to prey upon P. fimbriatus.

References
  1. McMurrich, J.P. (1910). Actiniaria of the Siboga expedition, Part I. Ceriantharia. Siboga-Expeditie. Monograph 15a:1-48 page(s): 35-38
  2. Molodtsova, T. (2015). Pachycerianthus fimbriatus. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species on 2016-02-10.

2.[1]

  1. Arai, Mary Needler (November 1985). "Electrical activity associated with withdrawal and feeding ofPachycerianthus fimbriatus(Anthozoa, Ceriantharia)". Marine Behaviour and Physiology. 12 (1): 47–56. doi:10.1080/10236248509378632. ISSN 0091-181X.
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