NEW SPECIES: ICE-LOVING SEA ANEMONES FOUND IN ANTARCTICA

Exploration of the lower surface of the Ross Ice Shelf in Antarctica with a remotely operated vehicle discovered a new species of sea anemone living in this previously undocumented ecosystem.

Edwardsiella andrillae  lives with most of its column in the ice shelf, with only the tentacle crown extending into the seawater below. In addition to being the only Antarctic representative of the genus, Edwardsiella andrillae is distinguished from all other species of the genus in the number of tentacles and in the size and distribution of cnidae. The anatomy and histology of Edwardsiella andrillae present no features that explain how this animal withstands the challenges of life in such an unusual habitat.

• Reference (Open Access) Daly et a, 2014. Edwardsiella andrillae, a new species of sea anemone from antarctic ice.