BIOTIC Species Information for Eunicella verrucosa
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Researched by | Dr Keith Hiscock | Data supplied by | MarLIN | ||||||||||||
Refereed by | This information is not refereed. | ||||||||||||||
Taxonomy | |||||||||||||||
Scientific name | Eunicella verrucosa | Common name | Pink sea fan | ||||||||||||
MCS Code | D611 | Recent Synonyms | None | ||||||||||||
Phylum | Cnidaria | Subphylum | |||||||||||||
Superclass | Anthozoa | Class | Octocorallia | ||||||||||||
Subclass | Order | Gorgonacea | |||||||||||||
Suborder | Family | Plexauridae | |||||||||||||
Genus | Eunicella | Species | verrucosa | ||||||||||||
Subspecies | |||||||||||||||
Additional Information | May be confused with Swiftia pallida, which occurs in Scotland northwards to Scandinavia but is much less branched, has generally thinner branches and may be white or rose coloured. | ||||||||||||||
Taxonomy References | Howson & Picton, 1997, Manuel, 1988, | ||||||||||||||
General Biology | |||||||||||||||
Growth form | Arborescent / Arbuscular |
Feeding method | Passive suspension feeder |
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Mobility/Movement | Permanent attachment |
Environmental position | Epibenthic Epifaunal |
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Typical food types | Suspended matter including plankton | Habit | Attached | ||||||||||||
Bioturbator | Not relevant | Flexibility | High (>45 degrees) | ||||||||||||
Fragility | Intermediate | Size | Medium-large(21-50cm) | ||||||||||||
Height | 25-50 cm | Growth Rate | 10 mm/year | ||||||||||||
Adult dispersal potential | None | Dependency | Independent | ||||||||||||
Sociability | Colonial | Host for | Tritonia nilsohdneri, Amphianthus dohrnii, Simnia patula. | ||||||||||||
Toxic/Poisonous? | No | ||||||||||||||
General Biology Additional Information | The sea fan anemone Amphianthus dohrnii specifically lives on sea fans. The sea slug Tritonia nilsohdneri feeds on sea fans and is camouflaged to look like the sea fan. The 'poached egg shell' Simnia patula feeds on sea fans and observations at Lundy (K. Hiscock, R. Irving pers. comm.) suggest that their egg laying might cause mortality (see 'Additional Information' in Adult Sensitivity). Other species colonize damaged or partially dead sea fans where the coenenchyme has been lost, especially barnacles, bryozoans and ascidians. | ||||||||||||||
Biology References | Anonymous, 1999(l), | ||||||||||||||
Distribution and Habitat | |||||||||||||||
Distribution in Britain & Ireland | Recorded northwards to north Pembrokeshire and eastwards to Portland Bill in Britain. Common in parts of south Devon and Cornwall and at Lundy. Present on the south and west coasts of Ireland but common only in Galway and Donegal Bays. | ||||||||||||||
Global distribution | South and west coasts of Britain and Ireland south to north-west Africa and present in the western Mediterranean (Carpine, 1975; Manual, 1988). | ||||||||||||||
Biogeographic range | Not researched | Depth range | 4m to at least 50m | ||||||||||||
Migratory | Non-migratory / Resident | ||||||||||||||
Distribution Additional Information | Older records suggest that the species occurred in the English Channel almost to the Thames Estuary (Margate). May occur in south-west Scotland but records needed (Manual, 1988) | ||||||||||||||
Substratum preferences | Artificial (e.g. metal/wood/concrete) Bedrock Large to very large boulders |
Physiographic preferences | Open coast Offshore seabed Strait / sound |
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Biological zone | Upper Circalittoral Lower Circalittoral |
Wave exposure | Very Exposed Moderately Exposed Exposed Sheltered |
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Tidal stream strength/Water flow | Moderately Strong (1-3 kn) |
Salinity | Full (30-40 psu) |
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Habitat Preferences Additional Information | |||||||||||||||
Distribution References | Carpine & Grasshoff, 1975, Anonymous, 2001, Manuel, 1988, Bavestrello et al., 1997, | ||||||||||||||
Reproduction/Life History | |||||||||||||||
Reproductive type | Insufficient information |
Developmental mechanism | Lecithotrophic |
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Reproductive Season | Insufficient information | Reproductive Location | Insufficient information | ||||||||||||
Reproductive frequency | Annual episodic | Regeneration potential | No | ||||||||||||
Life span | 21-100 years | Age at reproductive maturity | Insufficient information | ||||||||||||
Generation time | Insufficient information | Fecundity | Insufficient information | ||||||||||||
Egg/propagule size | Insufficient information | Fertilization type | Insufficient information | ||||||||||||
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Reproduction Preferences Additional Information | The age of Eunicella verrucosa colonies can be determined (destructively) from growth rings in the axis. There is one growth ring per annum as evidenced by studies that measured growth rate in marked fans and then harvested the sea fans to count growth rings (Keith Hiscock, unpublished studies). Growth rate can be highly variable with an increase in branch length of up to 6 cm in some branches in one year and virtually none in others in Lyme Bay populations (C. Munro, pers. comm.) in one year. About 1 cm per annum increase in branch length was recorded in marked colonies at Lundy corresponding to measures of branch length correlated with number of annual growth rings (Keith Hiscock, unpublished studies, see above). There is no specific information on reproduction in Eunicella verrucosa but observation of the occurrence of small colonies suggests that production and settlement of larvae is successful in occasional years in south-west Britain. The larvae are most likely lecithotrophic and have a short life. Colonies seem to take some time if ever to colonize wrecks that are distant (>1 km) from existing populations. For the morphologically similar Paramuricea clavata in the Mediterranean, Coma et al. (1995) described reproduction and the cycle of gonadial development with spawning occurring 3-6 days after full or new moon in summer. Spawned eggs adhered to a mucus coating to female colonies: a feature that would be expected to have been readily observed if it occurred in Eunicella verrucosa. Maturation of planulae took place among the polyps of the parent colony and, on leaving the colony, planulae immediately settled on surrounding substrata. It seems more likely that planulae of Eunicella verrucosa are released immediately from the polyps and are likely to drift. | ||||||||||||||
Reproduction References | Coma et al., 1995, |