Biology and Ecology of Venomous Marine Cnidarians by Ramasamy Santhanam

Author:Ramasamy Santhanam
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
ISBN: 9789811516030
Publisher: Springer Singapore

Anemonia viridis Forskal, 1775

Image credit: Obra do próprio, Wikipedia

Common name (s): Snakelocks anemone

Global distribution: Adriatic; southern and western shores of Britain and as far south as the Mediterranean Sea.

Ecology: It is living in shallow waters and rocky pools. It requires high intensity light levels.

Biology

Description: Size of this species is up to about 70 mm across the base with a tentacle span of up to 180 mm. Base is lightly but closely adherent and is broader than column. Column is variable in height and is often short and hidden by the tentacles. It is smooth with small, roughly conical acrorhagi on the parapet. Disc is wide. Tentacles which are up to about 200 in number are long, fairly stout and flexuous. They are rarely retracted. Column of the anemone is reddish or greyish brown; usually darkest above and sometimes with irregular pale streaks. Acrorhagi are matching the ground colour. Disc is brown or greyish, usually with white radial lines. Tentacles are grey-brown or bright grass green with purple tips. Some tentacles may, however, bear a median longitudinal pale line.

Food and feeding: Tissues of this species contain zooxanthellae (symbiotic algae) which appears to be necessary for the long-term survival of this sea anemone. It ingests larger food items both dead and alive, e.g. small fish and just moulted palaemonid prawns. Gastropod molluscs and all sorts of crustaceans form the bulk of the diet of this species.

Life cycle: This species reproduces with asexual method. By longitudinal fission, this anemone splits into two identical halves. This process can take from 5 min to 2 h.

Envenomation: Frazão et al. (2012) reported on the presence of NaV channel toxins, ATX-I, II, III and V; and KV channel toxins, SA5 II, kalicludins-1,2,3, BDS-I, II and kaliseptin from this species.

Small children playing in the rocky pools are especially prone to the tentacle envenomation of this species since their skin and mucosa are more tender. The affected area of the skin takes on a reddened and slightly raised appearance, bearing irregularly scattered pin-head size vesicles and sometimes an oedema may develop around the injured skin. On lips and child skin larger blisters can also develop. The area becomes painful, particularly to touch and heat (Turk 1999).

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