''Adamsia'' is a
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...
of
sea anemones
Sea anemones are a group of predatory marine invertebrates of the order Actiniaria. Because of their colourful appearance, they are named after the ''Anemone'', a terrestrial flowering plant. Sea anemones are classified in the phylum Cnidaria, ...
in the
family
Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...
Hormathiidae. Species in this genus are
mutually symbiotic with hermit crabs. The anemone gets a place to live and discarded scraps of the crab's food in exchange for its help in the crab's defence. As these anemones grow, they secrete a horny membrane, known as a carcinoecium, which overlies the crab's original snail shell and expands the living space of the crab. This means the anemone does not have to change substrate and the crab does not have to seek a larger shell as they both grow.
Species
Species within the genus include:
* ''
Adamsia fusca''
(Quoy & Gaimard, 1833)
* ''
Adamsia involvens''
McMurrich, 1893
* ''
Adamsia obvolva''
Daly et al., 2004
* ''
Adamsia palliata''
(Fabricius, 1779)
* ''
Adamsia rondeletti''
(Delle Chiaje, 1822)
* ''
Adamsia sociabilis''
Verrill, 1882
References
Hormathiidae
Hexacorallia genera
{{Hexacorallia-stub