Metridium canum
Description 1
Metridium canum is a species from the Kermadec Islands described by Stuckey (1914) and noted by Carlgren (1949). This name was applied to a species found around the coast of mainland New Zealand (Parry (1951,52), Ralph & Yaldwyn (1956), Batham (1956), Grimstone (1958)) until Cadet Hand (1960) described that one as a separate species (and genus) Mimetridium cryptum.
Habitat
Occurs near the low water mark on the under-side of stones, tolerates a muddy or sandy bottom.
Column
Grayish cylindrical column which is narrower than the adherent pedal disc . There are cinclides on the upper part of the column. The column is longitudinally wrinkled when contracted. 10mm diameter, and 9mm high when contracted. Disc 15mm diameter.
Oral disc
Tentacles
About 200 tentacles crowded and arranged in 4 to 5 whorls; may have black tips.
Distribution
Kermadec Islands.
Edited version of Description of a Collection of Actinians from the Kermadec Islands, Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New Zealand, Art. XXIII
by F. G. A. Stuckey, M.A., Wellington (1913)
Metridium canum n. sp.
The collector's description is: "Greyish. Abundant on the under-side of stones near low-water mark, Coral Bay, Sunday Island. This species…tolerates a muddy or sandy bottom."
Pedal Disc. - Adherent, rather wider than the column.
Column. - Cylindrical. Longitudinally wrinkled in contraction. Cinclides are present on the upper part of the column.
Tentacles. - About 200 in number, crowded and arranged in four, or perhaps five, cycles. In some of the preserved specimens the tentacles have black tips.
Body-wall. - The usual hexactinian features are observable. The mesogloea is comparatively thick, though variable in different portions of transverse sections. It appears fibrillar in structure, and contains numerous collections of cells.
Sphincter: - A weak mesogloeal sphincter is present.
Mesenteries.- There are four cycles, 45 pairs in all. Of these, only the primaries, 6 pairs in number, are perfect.
Dimensions (of largest specimen, contracted).- Height, 9 mm.; diameter of column, 10 mm.; diameter of disc, 15 mm.
References 1
- Two New Acontiate New Zealand Sea Anemones Transactions of the Royal Society of New Zealand : Zoology, Volume 1, Issue 4, 15 July 1961
- Description of a Collection of Actinians from the Kermadec Islands, by F. G. A. Stuckey, M.A., Wellington (1913)
- Sealifebase.org, Metridium canum Stuckey, 1914
Sources and Credits
- (c) Tony Wills, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
