Description: The column of this burrowing sea anemone is typically pear-shaped, with a rounded base, divided into scapus and scapulus. The scapus often has adherent sand grains. The tentacles are up to 36, seven in the inner row, these characteristically being held upwards, over the mouth. Size up to 50mm diameter, 70mm across tentacles. The scapus is buff, orange, or red, scapulus greyish. Tentacles and disc patterned in cream, reddish and various shades of brown.

Habitat: Burrows in sand or gravel, from 10m or deeper.

Distribution: Locally frequent on south and west coasts of England and Wales, in Ireland only known from Kilkieran Bay in Connemara and one old record from the west coast, north to western Scotland.

Similar Species: A very distinctive species. The rounded base is able to attach firmly to solid substrates, when it becomes a flat disc. Its natural habit, however is to burrow. Unlikely to be confused with any other species apart from Peachia cylindrica, which has only twelve tentacles.

Key Identification Features:

• Rounded base, relatively stout column for a burrowing anemone.
• Up to 36 tentacles, inner seven held upright over mouth.

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

iNaturalist: Mesacmaea mitchellii at iNaturalist World Species Observations database.

WoRMS: Mesacmaea mitchellii at World Register of Marine Species. Accepted name: Mesacmaea mitchellii (Gosse, 1853). AphiaID: 416481.

Classification: Biota; Animalia; Cnidaria; Anthozoa; Hexacorallia; Actiniaria; Enthemonae; Actinioidea; Haloclavidae; Mesacmaea