This sea anemone is long and thin and lives with its body completely buried in muddy gravel.

In brief

• In Northern Ireland this species is found only in Strangford Lough
• Lives on the lower shore in sheltered inlets of the sea, buried in muddy gravel
• Individuals are numerous in suitable habitats, but these habitats seem to be rare
• Sea anemone only known from four populations in the UK
• Threatened primarily by disturbance of the small part of the shore where it is found.

Species description: This burrowing sea anemone has an elongated and worm-like column which is divided into a scapus and scapulus. The scapus has a soft, adherent cuticle and a naked rounded base. There are 16-32 tentacles, arranged in three cycles with four in the primary cycle. The colour of the disc, tentacles and scapulus is translucent pale orange, usually patterned with opaque white or cream, tentacles plain or with white tips. The column is up to 70mm long and 5mm diameter, span of tentacles to 40mm.

Life cycle: Oviparous with the eggs hatching into planula larvae which develop into small anemones in two months.

Similar species: There are several other small burrowing anemones but all the others have fewer than 20 tentacles apart from Edwardsiella carnea, but this species lives in rock crevices or borings in limestone and is not buried free in gravel.

How to see this species: The population has been known for many years at Ballyhenry Island, Strangford Lough. The shore of the Lough is designated as an ASSI and it is not recommended that anyone should search for this animal without getting advice and permission from EHS in advance.

Current status: In Northern Ireland this species is found only in Strangford Lough The other well-known population in the Irish Sea is in the Menai Strait, where it also occurs in the sublittoral. The only other Irish locality at Malahide has been severely altered and the species has not been found there for many years.

Why is this species a priority in Northern Ireland?

• Rare — confined to a small population of one or two sites in Northern Ireland with Northern Ireland being a stronghold consisting of over 20 per cent of the UK population/range.

Threats: Population is probably stable but vulnerable to disturbance by shore collectors, especially student field courses.

Distribution Map from NBN: Edwardsia timida at National Biodiversity Network mapping facility, data for UK.

iNaturalist: Edwardsia timida at iNaturalist World Species Observations database.

WoRMS: Edwardsia timida at World Register of Marine Species. Accepted name: Edwardsia timida Quatrefages, 1842. AphiaID: 100892.

Classification: Biota; Animalia; Cnidaria; Anthozoa; Hexacorallia; Actiniaria; Anenthemonae; Edwardsioidea; Edwardsiidae; Edwardsia