''Macrodactyla doreensis'', common names long tentacle anemone and corkscrew tentacle sea anemone, is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

sea anemone Sea anemones are a group of predation, predatory marine invertebrates of the order (biology), order Actiniaria. Because of their colourful appearance, they are named after the ''Anemone'', a terrestrial flowering plant. Sea anemones are classifi ...

in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Actiniidae Actiniidae is the largest family of sea anemones, to which most common, temperate, shore species belong. Most members of this family do not participate in symbioses with fishes. Three exceptions are the bubble-tip anemone (with anemonefish and ...

Description

''Macrodactyla doreensis'' has relatively few tentacles. They are all similar to one another in size and colour, being purplish-gray to brown. Each grows to about 1.75 inches, are sinuous, and each taper evenly toward the tip. In some cases they have a corkscrew shape. The oral disc is normally purplish-gray to brown, and sometimes has a green cast. It has a flared shape, and grows to a maximum of 5 cm wide, but is often far smaller. It has white lines that are oriented radially, sometimes extending onto the tentacles. This anemone remains at the surface of the sediment, with the column buried. The lower portion of the column is a dull orange to bright red colour, with the upper portion being brownish, containing a round to ovoid verrucae in rows oriented longitudinally.

Distribution

This species is found in

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

, and south to the waters of

New Guinea New Guinea (; Hiri Motu Hiri Motu, also known as Police Motu, Pidgin Motu, or just Hiri, is a language of Papua New Guinea, which is spoken in surrounding areas of Port Moresby (Capital of Papua New Guinea). It is a simplified version of ...

and northern

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

Behaviour

The tentacles of ''Macrodactyla doreensis'' may either shrivel, or stick to hand of a person who disturbs it. This anemone can retract entirely into the sediment.

Habitat

This species is commonly found at depths of 5 metres or less in muddy bottoms, and is commonly seen without fish present.

Symbionts

M doreensis is a host of 5 different species of fish. *''

Amphiprion chrysopterus The orange-fin anemonefish (''Amphiprion chrysopterus'') is a marine fish belonging to the family Pomacentridae, the clownfishes and damselfishes, found in the Western Pacific north of the Great Barrier Reef from the surface to 20 m, to incl ...

'' orange-fin anemonefish * ''A. clarkii'', the yellowtail anemonefish * ''A. ocellaris'' Western clownfish * ''A. perideraion'' pink skunk anemonefish. *''

Dascyllus trimaculatus The threespot dascyllus (''Dascyllus trimaculatus''), also known as the domino damsel or simply domino, is a species of damselfish from the family Pomacentridae. It is native to the Indo-Pacific from the Red Sea and East Africa, to the Pitcairn ...

'' 3 spot dascyllus.

Notes

References

External links

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q630919 Actiniidae Animals described in 1833 Taxa named by Jean René Constant Quoy Taxa named by Joseph Paul Gaimard Cnidarians of the Pacific Ocean