Ceriantheomorphe brasiliensis

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Ceriantheomorphe brasiliensis
Ceriantheomorphe brasiliensis (10.3897-zookeys.874.35835) Figure 1 (cropped).jpg
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Cnidaria
Class: Anthozoa
Subclass: Ceriantharia
Order: Spirularia
Family: Cerianthidae
Genus: Ceriantheomorphe
Species:
C. brasiliensis
Binomial name
Ceriantheomorphe brasiliensis
Carlgren, 1931 [1]

Ceriantheomorphe brasiliensis is a species of tube-dwelling anemones in the family Cerianthidae. It is found in the tropical western Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. It is currently listed as endangered based on a lack of evidence. [2]

Contents

Distribution and habitat

Ceriantheomorphe brasiliensis is known from shallow water in the tropical western Atlantic Ocean. C. brasiliensis can be found from Texas through the Gulf of Mexico, but is typically found in northeastern Brazil. It is found in deep soft sand or muddy sand and retreats into its burrow during the day. The only other cerianthid found in the Gulf of Mexico is Ceriantheopsis americanus . [3] They burrow in loose substrate in relatively shallow waters, between the low tide and sublittoral zone. During the day, the animal retreats into its dwelling tube, and at night it extends its tentacles from the tube. [4]

Ecology

Ceriantheomorphe brasiliensis constructs a long, tough tube to line its burrow, strengthening it with mucus secretions. The tube is made with a felt of very long, discharged nematocyst cells and is sufficiently rigid for it to be excavated intact from the surrounding sediment. [5] The tentacles are assorted into two distinct marginal and labial cycles, each arranged into four pseudo-cycles with yellow coloration on the end of each tentacle. The marginal tentacles are located on the peripheral and are much longer than the labial. Ceriantharia have adapted large pores on the surface of their tentacles as a mechanism to retract into their tubes to avoid predation faster. [6] The tube is approximately 1–3 cm thick in adults, but it can be much thinner in younger or smaller species. Other species of Cerianthidae have various tube lengths, while C. brasiliensis' tube is relatively short. When the species is removed from its tube, it can regenerate a very thin replacement within 12 hours. Within 7–10 days, the tube can reach a thickness again that will help protect it from predators. The tube production starts in an area around the tentacles and continues in a ring formation down the body of the anemone, meaning it has an open end in the basal region. Additionally, since there is no limit to how far the anemone can lower itself into its tube, it can use this as a means to escape predation. [7] The Phoronid worm species Phoronis australis has an obligate commensalism relationship with C. braziliensis, where it gets a substrate, food, and protection from predation from the anemone. [8]

Metamorphosis

There is not much known about the larval stage of cerianthids, however it is suspected that they have adaptations for a relatively long planktonic larva stage. [9] Tube formation starts soon after the settlement of the larva, when it then starts to secrete mucus. It was once thought that the mucus production caused the formation of the tube, however it is now understood that cnida are responsible. The tube is made by forming woven layers of adhesive tissues, which traps small amounts of sediments and Foraminifera tests. This is a defining characteristic of cerianthids. [10]

Threats

Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (IBAMA) listed C. brasiliensis as an endangered species based on the fact that enough evidence has been collected to study this issue, and requires more scientific, comprehensive review for clarification. It is thought that this animal is highly targeted for illegal animal trafficking. [11] This species is thought to be endangered because of their low population numbers and it lives in an extremely at-risk area. Trawling of benthic communities on the continental shelf results in the destruction of invertebrate communities. It can also be used as an aquarium ornament, which puts it at risk to the threat of overexploitation. Populations of C. brasiliensis only appear in marine protected areas. [12]

Related Research Articles

<i>Aurelia aurita</i> Species of jellyfish

Aurelia aurita is a widely studied species of the genus Aurelia. All species in the genus are very similar, and it is difficult to identify Aurelia medusae without genetic sampling; most of what follows applies equally to all species of the genus. The most common method used to identify the species consists of selecting a jellyfish from a harbour using a device, usually a drinking glass and then photographing the subject. This means that they can be released in to the harbour shortly afterwards and return to their natural habitat.

Anthozoa Class of cnidarians without a medusa stage

Anthozoa is a class of marine invertebrates which includes the sea anemones, stony corals and soft corals. Adult anthozoans are almost all attached to the seabed, while their larvae can disperse as part of the plankton. The basic unit of the adult is the polyp; this consists of a cylindrical column topped by a disc with a central mouth surrounded by tentacles. Sea anemones are mostly solitary, but the majority of corals are colonial, being formed by the budding of new polyps from an original, founding individual. Colonies are strengthened by calcium carbonate and other materials and take various massive, plate-like, bushy or leafy forms.

Tube-dwelling anemone class of anthozoans

Tube-dwelling anemones or ceriantharians look very similar to sea anemones but belong to an entirely different subclass of anthozoans. They are solitary, living buried in soft sediments. Tube anemones live inside and can withdraw into tubes, which are composed of a fibrous material made from secreted mucus and threads of nematocyst-like organelles known as ptychocysts. Within the tubes of these ceriantharians, more than one polyp is present, which is an exceptional trait because species that create tube systems usually contain only one polyp per tube. Ceriantharians were formerly classified in the taxon Ceriantipatharia along with the black corals but have since been moved to their own subclass, Ceriantharia.

Hexacorallia Class of cnidarians with 6-fold symmetry

Hexacorallia is a class of Anthozoa comprising approximately 4,300 species of aquatic organisms formed of polyps, generally with 6-fold symmetry. It includes all of the stony corals, most of which are colonial and reef-forming, as well as all sea anemones, and zoanthids, arranged within five extant orders. The hexacorallia are distinguished from another class of Anthozoa, Octocorallia, in having six or fewer axes of symmetry in their body structure; the tentacles are simple and unbranched and normally number more than eight. These organisms are formed of individual soft polyps which in some species live in colonies and can secrete a calcite skeleton. As with all Cnidarians, these organisms have a complex life cycle including a motile planktonic phase and a later characteristic sessile phase. Hexacorallia also include the significant extinct order of rugose corals.

<i>Pachycerianthus fimbriatus</i> Species of sea anemone

Pachycerianthus fimbriatus is a cerianthid anemone that burrows in substrate and lives in a semi-rigid tube made of felted nematocysts. The anemone is often seen in bright orange to red.

Sea anemone Marine animals of the order Actiniaria

Sea anemones are the marine, predatory animals of the order Actiniaria. They are named after the anemone, a terrestrial flowering plant, because of the colourful appearance of many. Sea anemones are classified in the phylum Cnidaria, class Anthozoa, subclass Hexacorallia. As cnidarians, sea anemones are related to corals, jellyfish, tube-dwelling anemones, and Hydra. Unlike jellyfish, sea anemones do not have a medusa stage in their life cycle.

Phoronid Phylum of marine animals, horseshoe worms

Phoronids are a small phylum of marine animals that filter-feed with a lophophore, and build upright tubes of chitin to support and protect their soft bodies. They live in most of the oceans and seas, including the Arctic Ocean but excluding the Antarctic Ocean, and between the intertidal zone and about 400 meters down. Most adult phoronids are 2 cm long and about 1.5 mm wide, although the largest are 50 cm long.

<i>Cerianthus</i> Genus of sea anemones

Cerianthus is a genus of tube-dwelling anemones in the family Cerianthidae. Members of the genus are found worldwide. They are predators, scavengers and omnivores.

<i>Ceriantheopsis</i> Genus of sea anemones

Ceriantheopsis is a genus of tube-dwelling anemones in the family Cerianthidae. Members of the genus are found only in the Atlantic Ocean. They are predators, scavengers and omnivores.

Burrowing anemone Species of sea anemone

The burrowing anemone is a species of tube-dwelling anemone in the family Cerianthidae.

<i>Bartholomea annulata</i> Species of sea anemone

Bartholomea annulata is a species of sea anemone in the family Aiptasiidae, commonly known as the ringed anemone or corkscrew anemone. It is one of the most common anemones found on reefs in the Caribbean Sea.

Cerianthidae Family of sea anemones

Cerianthidae is a family of tube-dwelling anemones in the order Spirularia of the subclass Ceriantharia.

Ceriantheomorphe is a genus of tube-dwelling anemones in the family Cerianthidae.

<i>Ceriantheopsis americana</i> Species of sea anemone

Ceriantheopsis americana is a species of tube-dwelling anemone in the family Cerianthidae. It is a burrowing species and lives in deep sand or muddy sand in a long slender tube that it creates.

Arachnactidae Family of sea anemones

Arachnactidae is a family of tube-dwelling anemones in the order Ceriantharia. It is the only family in the monotypic order Penicillaria and comprises around 38 species. They differ from other ceriantharians in the makeup of their cnidome, the relative sizes of the oral discs and the shape and structure of the mesenteries. These tube anemones dwell in parchment-like tubes immersed in soft sediment, and have two whorls of tentacles, the outer ones being much longer than the inner ones.

Spirularia Order of sea anemones

Spirularia is an order of marine Cnidarians, tube-dwelling anemones, in the subclass Ceriantharia. It is one of the two orders making up Ceriantharia and includes two families, Botrucnidiferidae and Cerianthidae, and around 99 species. The two orders differ in the makeup of their cnidome, the relative sizes of the oral discs and the shape and structure of the mesenteries.

<i>Gonactinia</i> Genus of sea anemones

Gonactinia is a monotypic genus of sea anemones, and G. prolifera is the only species in the genus. It is sometimes called the storey anemone and is found on either side of the northern Atlantic Ocean.

<i>Diadumene</i> Genus of sea anemones

Diadumene is a genus of sea anemones. It is the only genus in the monotypic family Diadumenidae.

<i>Pachycerianthus</i> Genus of sea anemones

Pachycerianthus is a genus of marine tube-dwelling anemones in the family Cerianthidae.

<i>Cassiopea ornata</i> Species of jellyfish

Cassiopea ornata are one of many Cnidarian species called the upside-down jellyfish. This pelagic jellyfish primarily lives in tropical waters, off the coast of Australia in shallow lagoons and around mangrove trees. The name "upside-down jellyfish" comes from the fact that it appears to be upside-down in its natural state—resting on its bell. Its bell is a golden/brown color and the tentacles vary with different shades of yellow. While the sighting of this particular species is rare, it is usually mistaken for vegetation like the other species in genus Cassiopea.

References

  1. ↑ Molodtsova, Tina (2015). "Ceriantheomorphe brasiliensis Carlgren, 1931". WoRMS. World Register of Marine Species . Retrieved 2015-06-03.
  2. ↑ Prantoni, Alessandro L.; Stampar, Sérgio N.; Spier, Daphne (2012). "New record of the endangered cerianthid Ceriantheomorphe brasiliensis (Cnidaria: Hexacorallia) in Paranaguá Bay, southern Brazil". Marine Biodiversity Records. 5. doi:10.1017/S1755267212001078. ISSN   1755-2672.
  3. ↑ Felder, Darryl L. (2009). Gulf of Mexico Origin, Waters, and Biota: Biodiversity. Texas A&M University Press. pp. 365–366. ISBN   978-1-60344-269-5.
  4. ↑ Frey, Robert W. (1970). "The Lebensspuren of Some Common Marine Invertebrates near Beaufort, North Carolina. II. Anemone Burrows". Journal of Paleontology. 44 (2): 308–311. ISSN   0022-3360. JSTOR   1302545.
  5. ↑ Frey, Robert W. (1970). "The Lebensspuren of Some Common Marine Invertebrates near Beaufort, North Carolina. II. Anemone Burrows". Journal of Paleontology. 44 (2): 308–311. JSTOR   1302545.
  6. ↑ Stampar, Sérgio N.; Maronna, Maximiliano M.; Kitahara, Marcelo V.; Reimer, James D.; Beneti, Julia S.; Morandini, André C. (2016), Goffredo, Stefano; Dubinsky, Zvy (eds.), "Ceriantharia in Current Systematics: Life Cycles, Morphology and Genetics", The Cnidaria, Past, Present and Future: The world of Medusa and her sisters, Springer International Publishing, pp. 61–72, doi:10.1007/978-3-319-31305-4_5, ISBN   9783319313054
  7. ↑ "ScienceDirect". Zoologischer Anzeiger - A Journal of Comparative Zoology. 254: 67–71. January 2015. doi:10.1016/j.jcz.2014.11.004.
  8. ↑ Silveira, Fabio Lang da. "Is there any risk in a symbiotic species associating with an endangered one? A case of a phoronid worm growing on a Ceriantheomorphe tube". Cah. Biol. Mar.
  9. ↑ Stampar, Sérgio N.; Maronna, Maximiliano M.; Kitahara, Marcelo V.; Reimer, James D.; Beneti, Julia S.; Morandini, André C. (2016), Goffredo, Stefano; Dubinsky, Zvy (eds.), "Ceriantharia in Current Systematics: Life Cycles, Morphology and Genetics", The Cnidaria, Past, Present and Future: The world of Medusa and her sisters, Springer International Publishing, pp. 61–72, doi:10.1007/978-3-319-31305-4_5, ISBN   9783319313054
  10. ↑ "ScienceDirect". Zoologischer Anzeiger - A Journal of Comparative Zoology. 254: 67–71. January 2015. doi:10.1016/j.jcz.2014.11.004.
  11. ↑ Prantoni, Alessandro L.; Stampar, Sérgio N.; Spier, Daphne (2012). "New record of the endangered cerianthid Ceriantheomorphe brasiliensis (Cnidaria: Hexacorallia) in Paranaguá Bay, southern Brazil". Marine Biodiversity Records. 5. doi:10.1017/S1755267212001078. ISSN   1755-2672.
  12. ↑ Silveira, Fabio Lang da. "Is there any risk in a symbiotic species associating with an endangered one? A case of a phoronid worm growing on a Ceriantheomorphe tube". Cah. Biol. Mar.
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