anemone Edwardsia sp., either E. meridionalis or E. intermedia

Edwardsia anemones burrow in mud, sand, or gravel, with the lower part of their column having a thickened cuticle, into which they can retract [3]. E. meridionalis and E. intermedia co-occur in McMurdo Sound, and can be distinguished by nemathybome (series of nematocyst-bearing sacs in column) and tentacle arrangement, and by muscle histology [4,7].

Here is Edwardsia sp. out of the substrate.

Edwardsia meridionalis has been reported from McMurdo Sound locations and the open Ross Sea, though its distribution may be wider to encompass the Antarctic Peninsula, South Georgia Island, Tierra del Fuego, and Chile from 5 to 500 meters depth [1]. E. meridionalis typically has sixteen white-tipped colorless tentacles in two circles of eight with the inner tentacles longer than the outer tentacles; twelve to eighteen tentacles have been counted in specimens [1]. The column of E. meridionalis has been measured up to 3.5 centimeters long and 0.25 centimeters in diameter, and has eight white elongated blotches over a chestnut- colored region [1]. Inner tentacles are about 11.25 millimeters long and outer tentacles about nine millimeters long [1].

Edwardsia meridionalis is found burrowed in mud, sand, gravel, sponge spicule mats, and cobbles and is most abundant between 6 to 65 meters [1]. E. meridionalis is a dominant species in the McMurdo jetty soft-bottom macrofaunal community [2]. A study examined the gut contents of E. meridionalis and found diatoms, egg cases, copepods, polychaetes (pelagic and Spiophanes tcherniai), and the tanaid Nototanais dimorphus [2]. Its predators include the fish Trematomus bernacchii and Trematomus hansoni [2].


This could be a retracted Edwardsia or Edwardsiella anemone, or maybe not; it's too hard to say [9].

Edwardsia intermedia has been reported from McMurdo Sound, the Antarctic Peninsula, South Georgia Island, Chile, and Tierra del Fuego, from 6 to 300 meters depth [1,4,5,7,8]. E. intermedia has sixteen tentacles in two circles of eight [4,8]. E. intermedia is up to 3.8 centimeters long and 0.45 centimeters wide [4,8].

1: Records of the Australian Museum 33(6):325-360, 1981; 2: Ophelia 24(3):155-175, 1985; 3: British Anthozoa: Keys and Notes for the Identification of the Species. RL Manuel. Synposes of the British Fauna, New Series, 18. London : Academic Press, 1981; 4: Phylogenetic Systematics of the Edwardsiidae (Cnidaria: Anthozoa). M Daly. PhD Dissertation, 2001. George Washington University; 5: Proceedings of the United States National Museum 16(930):119-216, plates, 1893; 6: Corallimorpharia and Actiniaria with Description of a New Genus and Species from Peru. O Carlgren. Lunds Universitets Arsskrift. Ny Foljd, Avd. 2. Band 56. No. 6. Kungliga Fysiografiska Sallskapet Handlingar. Ny Foljd, Band 71, No. 6. Reports of the Lund University Chile Expedition 1948-49. Number 38. Lund: CWK Gleerup, 1959; 7: Marymegan Daly, personal communication, 2001; 8: Zoantharien. O. Carlgren. Ergebnisse der Hamburger Magalhaensischen Sammelreise. Hamburg: L Friederichsen & Co. 1898. p. 6 plus accompanying figures 4 and 5; 9: Marymegan Daly, personal communication, 2003

Identification from photo only and not from collected specimen. Text ©Peter Brueggeman. Photographs ©Norbert Wu & Canadian Museum of Nature (Kathleen Conlan). Photographs may not be used in any form without the express written permission of Norbert Wu or Canadian Museum of Nature (Kathleen Conlan). Norbert Wu no longer grants permission for uncompensated use of his photos under any circumstances whatsoever; want more info?