''Stomphia coccinea'' is a small reddish, orange or brownish

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

Actinostolidae Actinostolidae is a family of sea anemones in the order Actiniaria. Members of this family are deep sea species, with some occurring at hydrothermal vents. Genera The following genera are recognised by the World Register of Marine Species Th ...

from the North Atlantic, North Pacific and Arctic Ocean. It can swim away when necessary in order to escape a predator.

Morphology

The specific name ‘coccinea’ means ‘scarlet’ and refers to the anemone's distinctive often reddish and orange-striped coloration both on the column and on its up to 80 tentacles. The anemone can grow to a size of 6 cm in diameter, but the anemone has a very flat appearance when retracted.

Ecology

This species attaches itself to rocks and shells, with the most common substrate in northern Europe being the shell of the horse mussel ''

Modiolus modiolus ''Modiolus modiolus'', common name northern horsemussel (Scottish Gaelic: , Scots: ), is a species of marine bivalve mollusk in the family Mytilidae. Description ''Modiolus modiolus'' is a large mussel growing to 22 cm (9ins) long though ...

'', where, as a suspension feeder it consumes planktonic material. When there is an attack from one of its predators, such as a starfish, or an individual of the

nudibranch Nudibranchs () are a group of soft-bodied marine gastropod molluscs which shed their shells after their larval stage. They are noted for their often extraordinary colours and striking forms, and they have been given colourful nicknames to matc ...

species ''

Aeolidia papillosa ''Aeolidia papillosa'', known as the common grey sea slug, is a species of nudibranch in the family Aeolidiidae.Gofas, S''Aeolidia papillosa''.In: MolluscaBase (2017). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS), 26 July 2017. Dis ...

'' or '' Eubranchus exiguus'', it can release the grip of its disc and float away. If it is successful in escaping, it will soon after attach to a new substrate.Manual, R.L. (1988). British Anthozoa. London: Academic Press. ynopses of the British Fauna No. 18./ref>

References

Actinostolidae Cnidarians of the Atlantic Ocean Marine fauna of Europe Animals described in 1776 Taxa named by Otto Friedrich Müller {{Actiniaria-stub