• Kingdom: Animalia
  • Phylum: Cnidaria
  • Class: Anthozoa
  • Subclass: Hexacorallia
  • Order: Actiniaria
  • Suborder: Nyantheae
  • Family: Actinostolidae
  • Scientific name: Stomphia coccinea
  • Norwegian: -

Characteristics:

This is a small anemone, not exceeding a height of 5 cm, shallow water individuals rarely exceed 3 cm. It appears to have many common features with the larger Urticina eques, but can be distinguished by the following characteristics:

  • The inner circle of only six tentacles are directed inwards, towards the mouth opening.
  • White spots on the disk near the base of each tentacle or on the lower part of the tentacles.
  • The column is significantly shorter, relative to the diameter.

Like the U. eques, the column is smooth, without warts. It sometimes partially contract, and thereby give the column wall a folded appearance. The column is red, orange, white, yellowish or brown, usually blotched irregularly with red. The disk is often translucent, grey, orange or yellow.

Habitat:

It typically appears deeper than 10 meters, always on hard bottom, never buried in sand.

Distribution:

This is a widespread, circumpolar species, fount both in the Northern Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Exists along the entire Norwegian coast.