Description: This burrowing sea anemone has an elongated column, which is sausage-shaped, with a rounded base, sometimes with adherent sand grains. There are 12 tentacles, long in extension (only when buried). From one angle of the mouth a small lobed projection (conchula) arises. The column is pale flesh-coloured, pink, or buff, mottled with darker buff or brown, with a ring of white markings just below the disc. The disc and tentacles are patterned with cream and brown; specimens with plain white discs are common. Length of column up to 300mm in full extension, span of tentacles to 120mm. A true burrowing anemone without an adhesive basal disc; the column has sticky spots which can adhere to solid objects. When not buried it may assume a variety of shapes from almost spherical to elongate. The tentacles remain short unless the column is buried.

Habitat: Lives buried, unattached, in sand or gravel- a true burrowing anemone. Occurs on shore at LWST or offshore down to at least 100m.

Distribution: All coasts of the Britain and Ireland, fairly common offshore, only occasional, between tide-marks. Throughout western Europe, including the Mediterranean.

Similar Species: Halcampa chrysanthellum and Halcampoides elongatus are also burrowing anemones with 12 tentacles (short in Halcampa) but both lack a conchula; Halcampoides elongatus tentacles are very long, without a pattern.

Key Identification Features:

• Rounded base adapted to burrowing habit.
• Twelve tentacles only.
• Conchula is unique to this genus.

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

iNaturalist: Peachia cylindrica at iNaturalist World Species Observations database.

WoRMS: Peachia cylindrica at World Register of Marine Species. Accepted name: Peachia cylindrica (Reid, 1848). AphiaID: 100927.

Classification: Biota; Animalia; Cnidaria; Anthozoa; Hexacorallia; Actiniaria; Enthemonae; Actinioidea; Peachiidae; Peachia