Description: This colonial sea anemone has up to 44 tentacles, the polyps are up to 25 mm tall. The colour is white, sometimes pinkish if gonads are ripe.

Habitat: Often on organic substrates: sponges, sea-squirts, worm-tubes, dead corals, etc., but also on rocks and wrecks, from 20-400 m. Often in dark places beneath overhangs and on the roof of caves.

Distribution: Parazoanthus anguicomis is found at scattered locations around Scotland and in deep water around northern Europe, south to Lundy Island and Brittany.

Similar Species: See Parazoanthus axinellae for distinguishing features of these two species.

Key Identification Features:

• White coloration.
• Numerous individuals arising individually from thin or thick basal encrustations.
• Tentacles pointed, not as long as in Epizoanthus.

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

iNaturalist: Parazoanthus anguicomus at iNaturalist World Species Observations database.

WoRMS: Parazoanthus anguicomus at World Register of Marine Species. Accepted name: Parazoanthus anguicomus (Norman, 1869). AphiaID: 101054.

Classification: Biota; Animalia; Cnidaria; Anthozoa; Hexacorallia; Zoantharia; Macrocnemina; Parazoanthidae; Parazoanthus