Aiptasia couchii Gosse, 1858

Trumpet anemone

Aiptasia couchii

Description: The column of this sea anemone is smooth, not divided into regions, tall in extension and trumpet-shaped. The tentacles are long, stout, tapering to fine points, not readily retracted. Acontia are present, fairly readily emitted from pores in column. Colour brown, column sometimes streaked with white or blue, disc with broad white or blue lines around tentacle bases. up to 120mm across tentacles. Column very variable in shape but typically trumpet-like, may attach to substrate by adhesive spots (not easily visible) on column.

Habitat: On shore or in depths down to 100m or more. On rocks, sea-weed holdfasts, etc., usually occurs in considerable numbers when present.

Distribution: Local and uncommon in Britain, in extreme southwest only - Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Bristol Channel, Kenmare River (southwest Ireland). Common in Channel Isles and northwest France, south to Portugal.

Similar Species: Has been confused with Anemonia viridis, however Anemonia viridis has a parapet, often bright green tentacles, and lacks acontia. Incorrectly synonymised for a while with Aiptasia mutabilis. Grajales A, Rodríguez E., (2014) Morphological revision of the genus Aiptasia and the family Aiptasiidae (Cnidaria, Actiniaria, Metridioidea). Zootaxa. 2014 Jun 27;3826:55-100. doi: 10.11646/zootaxa.3826.1.2.

Key Identification Features:

• Long, stout tentacles that taper to fine points, not readily retracted.
• Presence of acontia.
• Distinctive colouration, not very variable.

Distribution Map: NBN map : National Biodiversity Network mapping facility, data for UK.

WoRMS: Species record : World Register of Marine Species.

iNaturalist: Species account : iNaturalist World Species Observations database