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MEPS 257:291-294 (2003)
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Abstract
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First evidence for coloniality in sea anemones
Verena Häussermann1,2,*, Günter Försterra2
1Zoologische Staatssammlung München, Münchhausenstraße 21, 81247 Munich, Germany
2Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Department II Biologie, Karlstrasse 23-25, 80333 Munich, Germany
*Email: vreni_haeussermann@yahoo.de
ABSTRACT: Sea anemones, a conspicuous group of marine benthic invertebrates, are considered to be strictly solitary animals. This is in contrast to almost all other orders of the class Anthozoa, which have colony-forming members, the best known examples
being reef-building corals. Here we show that the sagartiid sea anemone Cereus herpetodes (McMurrich, 1904) from Chile forms flabello-meandroid colonies through intratentacular budding, a feature hitherto known only from stony corals. This finding
sheds new light upon the debated evolution of Anthozoa and the principles of colony formation within this group.
KEY WORDS: Colony · Solitary · Actiniaria · Anthozoa · Polystomodaeal intramural intratentacular budding · Fission · Cereus herpetodes · Chile
Full text in pdf format
Published in MEPS Vol.
257
(2003) on August 7
Print ISSN: 0171-8630; Online ISSN: 1616-1599.
Copyright © Inter-Research, Oldendorf/Luhe, 2003
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