''Stomphia coccinea'' is a small reddish, orange or brownish coloured species of

sea anemone Sea anemones ( ) are a group of predation, predatory marine invertebrates constituting the order (biology), order Actiniaria. Because of their colourful appearance, they are named after the ''Anemone'', a terrestrial flowering plant. Sea anemone ...

in the family Actinostolidae from the North Atlantic, North Pacific and Arctic Ocean. It can swim away when necessary in order to escape a predator.

Morphology

The specific name ‘coccinea’ means ‘scarlet’ and refers to the anemone's distinctive often reddish and orange-striped coloration both on the column and on its up to 80 tentacles. The anemone can grow to a size of 6 cm in diameter, but the anemone has a very flat appearance when retracted.

Ecology

This species attaches itself to rocks and shells, with the most common substrate in northern Europe being the shell of the horse mussel ''

Modiolus modiolus ''Modiolus modiolus'', common name northern horsemussel (Scottish Gaelic: , Scots language, Scots: ), is a species of marine (ocean), marine Bivalvia, bivalve mollusk in the family Mytilidae. Description ''Modiolus modiolus'' is a large mussel ...

'', where, as a suspension feeder it consumes planktonic material. When there is an attack from one of its predators, such as a starfish, or an individual of the

nudibranch Nudibranchs () are a group of soft-bodied marine gastropod molluscs, belonging to the order Nudibranchia, that shed their shells after their larval stage. They are noted for their often extraordinary colours and striking forms, and they have b ...

species '' Aeolidia papillosa'' or '' Eubranchus exiguus'', it can release the grip of its disc and float away. If it is successful in escaping, it will soon after attach to a new substrate.Manual, R.L. (1988). British Anthozoa. London: Academic Press. ynopses of the British Fauna No. 18./ref>

References

Actinostolidae Cnidarians of the Atlantic Ocean Marine fauna of Europe Animals described in 1776 Taxa named by Otto Friedrich Müller {{Actiniaria-stub