''Cryptodendrum'' is a genus 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 ...

s in the

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

Thalassianthidae Thalassianthidae is a family of sea anemones that contains the genera ''Actineria'', ''Cryptodendrum,'' ''Heterodactyla'', and ''Thalassianthus''.World Register of Marine Species. (2016). Thalassianthidae Milne Edwards, 1857. http://www.marinesp ...

. It is

monotypic In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unisp ...

with a single species, ''Cryptodendrum adhaesivum'', also commonly known as the adhesive anemone, pizza anemone, and nap-edged anemone. Like all

symbiotic Symbiosis (Ancient Greek : living with, companionship < : together; and ''bíōsis'': living) is any type of a close and long-term biolo ...

anemones it hosts ''

zooxanthellae Zooxanthellae (; zooxanthella) is a colloquial term for single-celled photosynthetic organisms that are able to live in symbiosis with diverse marine invertebrates including corals, jellyfish, demosponges, and nudibranchs. Most known zooxanthell ...

'', symbiotic algae that help feed their host.

Description

This anemone grows to a size of 30 centimeters and is distinguished by its colored, beaded and waving curved edge. It has two different forms of tentacles. At the center of the oral disc, it has narrow, short, about 5 mm long, tentacles that are branched with five or more "fingers", like a small, inflated rubber glove. The tentacles are extremely sticky. The tentacles at the edge have a bubble-like thickening of about one millimeter diameter at the end. The two types of tentacles are usually different colors.

Similar species

The two different tentacles and pizza crust type edge distinguish ''C. adhaesivum'' from superficially similar ''

Stichodactyla ''Stichodactyla'' is a genus of sea anemones, of the family Stichodactylidae. They are host anemones, which maintain a relationship mutualistic with other animals, in their case with crabs of the genus '' Mithraculus'', shrimp of the gen ...

'' specimens.

Distribution

''C. adhaesivum'' is widely distributed being found in

tropical The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the equator, where the sun may shine directly overhead. This contrasts with the temperate or polar regions of Earth, where the Sun can never be directly overhead. This is because of Earth's ax ...

waters from the Indian Ocean to the Western Pacific.

Symbionts

The relationship between anemonefish and their host sea anemones is highly

nested ''Nested'' is the seventh studio album by Bronx-born singer, songwriter, and pianist Laura Nyro. It was released in 1978 on Columbia Records. Following on from her extensive tour to promote 1976's ''Smile'', which resulted in the 1977 live albu ...

in structure. This anemone however is able to survive without anemonefish and most specimens are found without anemonefish. As the single hosted anemonefish, ''

Amphiprion clarkii Clark's anemonefish (''Amphiprion clarkii''), also known as the yellowtail clownfish, is a marine fish belonging to the family Pomacentridae, the clownfishes and damselfishes. 28 species of anemonefish live within the Pomacentridae family (Steer ...

'', is the extreme generalist, it may be that ''C. adhaesivum'' is a marginal host tolerated only by the least selective fish and only when no other host is available. ''C. adhaesivum'' is also associated with juvenile ''

Dascyllus trimaculatus The threespot dascyllus (''Dascyllus trimaculatus''), also known as the domino damsel or simply domino, is a species of damselfish from the family Pomacentridae. It is native to the Indo-Pacific from the Red Sea and East Africa, to the Pitcairn Is ...

'' the threespot dascyllus. A number of other species are associated with C. adhaesivum, however the relationship is

commensal Commensalism is a long-term biological interaction (symbiosis) in which members of one species gain benefits while those of the other species neither benefit nor are harmed. This is in contrast with mutualism, in which both organisms benefit f ...

rather than mutual as the anemone does not appear to benefit from the association. These species are * ''

Neopetrolisthes maculatus ''Neopetrolisthes maculatus'' is a species of porcelain crab from the Indo-Pacific region. It is a small, colourful crustacean with a porcelain-like shell. This porcelain crab is usually found within the stinging tentacles of a number of sea ane ...

'' a porcelain crab * Shrimp from the

Periclimenes ''Periclimenes'', commonly known as glass shrimp or cleaner shrimp, is a Symbiosis, symbiotic and often Commensalism, commensalistic genus of translucent shrimp within the family Palaemonidae. Species of this large genus feature a wide variety of ...

genus * '' Thor amboinensis'' the squat or sexy shrimp

Gallery

''C. adhaesivum'' and symbionts Image:Amphiprion Dascyllus Cryptodendrum.jpg, ''Amphiprion clarkii'' & ''Dascyllus trimaculatus'' Image:Neopetrolisthes maculatus on Cryptodendrum adhaesivum.jpg, ''Neopetrolisthes maculatus'' (porcelain crab)

References

External links

{{Taxonbar, from1=Q18510894, from2=Q1049308 Thalassianthidae Taxa described in 1877 Monotypic cnidarian genera