Actiniaria
Identification
- Morphology: Soft body with tentacles that can be withdrawn.
Habitat
- Geographical Distribution: All oceans
- Depth: Shallow to deep
- Substrate: Hard (mostly) (Moen & Svensen, 2020). A dark red/dark purple morphotype is found in sediments.
Ecology
- Mobility: Sessile, but are able of some movement (Moen & Svensen, 2020)
Life History
Conservation Status
Red List: The evaluated species in the Norwegian Red List of 2021 are assigned categories data deficient (DD), least concern (LC), not applicable (NA), and not evaluated (NE) (the Norwegian Red List, 2021).
Comments
- Relevant Taxa: Family Actinostolidae observed at Ægir Ridge at 750-3530m (Brix et al., 2022)
References
- Moen, F. E. and Svensen, E. (2020). Dyreliv i havet - norsk marin fauna. Kolofon forlag.
- Brix, Saskia and Kaiser, Stefanie and Lörz, Anne-Nina and Saout, Morgane Le and Schumacher, Mia and Bonk, Frederic and Egilsdottir, Hronn and Olafsdottir, Steinunn Hilma and Tandberg, Anne Helene S. and Taylor, James and Tewes, Simon and Xavier, Joana R. and Linse, Katrin (2022). Habitat variability and faunal zonation at the Ægir Ridge, a canyon-like structure in the deep Norwegian Sea. PeerJ. DOI Link
Dark red/ purple morphotype in sediments, one with tentacles substracted.
Depth: 2151 m.
Image by DeepInsight-2025 (ÆGIR6000/NORMAR).
Field of dark red/ purple actiniarians in sediments.
Depth: 2997 m.
Image by NOD/UiB-2024 (ÆGIR6000/NORMAR).
White morphotype often seen on hard substrate in deeper areas.
Depth: 3262 m.
Image by GoNorth-2022 (ÆGIR6000/NORMAR).
Depth: 623 m.
Image by NOD/UiB-2024 (ÆGIR6000/NORMAR).
Actiniarians on a polychaeta tube.
Depth:1264 m.
Image by DeepInsight-2025 (ÆGIR6000/NORMAR).
Depth: 621 m.
Image by NOD/UiB-2024 (ÆGIR6000/NORMAR).
Depth: 1906 m.
Image by: NOD-2018 / Swire Seabed.
Many small red anemones on hard substrate, creating an "anemone wall".
Depth: 1643 m.
Image by DeepInsight-2025 (ÆGIR6000/NORMAR).
Taxonomy Summary
- Phylum Cnidaria
- Class Hexacorallia
- Order Actiniaria