Species Stichodactyla mertensii Brandt, 1835
- Stichodactyla mertensii Brandt, J.F. 1835. Prodromus Descriptionis Animalium AB H. Mertensio in Orbis Terrarum Circumnavigatione Observatorum. Petropoli : Sumptibus Academiae 75 pp. [16].
Type data:
Status unknown, Micronesia, Kosrae [5°19'N, 162°59'E].
Distribution
States
Queensland, Western Australia
Extra Distribution Information
Indo-West Pacific including Seychelles, Gulf of Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Japan, Micronesia, Fiji.
IMCRA
Timor Province (2), Northeast Shelf Transition (41)
Ecological Descriptors
Marine.
Diagnosis
Oral disc to 1 m or even more diameter; tan to white column with longitudinal rows of verrucae pigmented magenta or orange (which appear purplish at depth); non-adhesive tentacles club-shaped to finger-like -- all may be short (10-20 mm long), or some (in patches) very long (to 50 mm or more). This anemone holds the record for oral disc diameter (shape is often more ovoid than circular). Broadly flared oral disc lies smoothly over substratum, following its contours, or undulating slightly, held open by verrucae adhering to underlying coral or rocks, which may be related to this anemone's living only on hard surfaces, often reef slopes. No verrucae below wide upper column, but splotches of pigment continue down short, narrow column in more or less longitudinal streaks. Small pedal disc frequently attached in crevice into which animal can retract (although not rapidly). Tentacles, of uniform diameter, blunt-ended or pointed: short ones all colour of the oral disc, sometimes with narrow white basal portion; long ones may be white-, yellow-, or green-ended. Tan oral disc almost entirely covered with tentacles; yellow or greenish tentacle-free oral area 20-50 mm diameter. Symbiotic fishes may be melanistic.
General References
Dunn, D.F. 1981. The clownfish sea anemones: Stichodactylidae (Coelenterata: Actiniaria) and other sea anemones symbiotic with Pomacentrid fishes. Transactions of the American Philosophical Society 71: 1-115
Fautin, D.G. 2011. Hexacorallians of the World. http://geoportal.kgs.ku.edu/hexacoral/anemone2/index.cfm
History of changes
| Published | As part of group | Action Date | Action Type | Compiler(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 05-Aug-2022 | NYNANTHEAE Carlgren, 1899 | 13-Aug-2013 | MOVED | Dr Bronwen Scott |
| 05-Aug-2022 | 28-Feb-2011 | MODIFIED | ||
| 05-Aug-2022 | 09-Nov-2010 | MOVED | ||
| 05-Aug-2022 | 09-Nov-2010 | MOVED | ||
| 05-Aug-2022 | 28-Jul-2010 | MODIFIED | ||
| 13-Jul-2010 | MODIFIED |