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Biometric investigations on the cnidae of the Aegean colour morphs of Anemonia viridis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 June 2000

Chariton C. Chintiroglou  and
Panagiotis Karalis
Chariton C. Chintiroglou
Affiliation:
Department of Zoology, Aristotle University, Box 134, GR 540 06 Thessaloniki, Greece
Panagiotis Karalis
Affiliation:
Department of Zoology, Aristotle University, Box 134, GR 540 06 Thessaloniki, Greece
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Abstract

The sea anemone Anemonia viridis is one of the most common species of the North Aegean Sea. The variety in colour morphs exhibited by this species, causes problems to taxonomy and ecology, and suggests that A. viridis should be subdivided into two distinct species according to the colour of the individuals. The approach used in this study was based on the biometrical cnidae characteristics of the two colour morphs (rustica and smaragdina), as it is known that cnidae biometry has been used as a taxonomic tool for the phylum Cnidaria. More than 20,000 nematocysts were measured to try and find a correlation between these measurements and some body parameters indicative of the maturity grade of the individuals, as potential taxonomic characteristics. Stable cnidae characteristics of the two different colour morphs were compared. However, they differed only in the biometry of the tentacles' a-basitrichs. This slight difference does not support the proposal to subdivide Anemonia viridis into two different species.

Type
SHORT COMMUNICATION
Information
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom , Volume 80 , Issue 3 , June 2000 , pp. 543 - 544
Copyright
2000 Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom

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