Plumose anemone (Metridium senile)
Key facts
- Scientific name
- Metridium senile
- Common name
- Plumose anemone
- Category
- Corals
- Family
- Metridiidae
- Genus
- Metridium
- IUCN status
- Least concern (LC)
- Danger level
- Harmless
- Habitats
- rocky-reef, wreck, artificial
- Behaviours
- sessile, filter-feeder, colonial-like
- Ocean zones
- East Atlantic
Description
Metridium senile reaches 30 cm height and 20 cm diameter. Smooth column white, cream, orange or brown topped by a fluffy crown of hundreds of fine tentacles. Lives from 0 to 100 m on rocks, wrecks and artificial structures of North Atlantic and Channel. Forms spectacular dense gardens on wrecks. Reproduction by longitudinal division. One of the emblematic photo subjects of boreal temperate diving.
Frequently asked questions
- Is the Plumose anemone dangerous to divers?
- Danger level: Harmless.
- What is the conservation status of the Plumose anemone?
- IUCN status: Least concern (LC).
- Where can you find the Plumose anemone?
- Found in: East Atlantic.
Similar species
- Fungia fungites - Mushroom coral
- Heliopora coerulea - Blue coral
- Corallium rubrum - Red coral
- Eunicella singularis - White gorgonian
- Stylophora pistillata - Smooth cauliflower coral
- Paramuricea clavata - Red gorgonian
Sources
- Taxonomy: WoRMS (AphiaID 100982)
- Photos: iNaturalist (CC BY-NC)
- Distribution: GBIF (taxonKey 5183974)
- Conservation: IUCN Red List
- Encyclopedia: Wikipedia