Biodiversity & Conservation

Jewel anemone - Corynactis viridis

Corynactis viridis

Image Sue Daly - Close up of green and orange Corynactis viridis in the Channel Isles.
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Distribution map

Corynactis viridis recorded (dark blue bullet) and expected (light blue bullet) distribution in Britain and Ireland (see below)

Why do the maps differ?

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Corynactis viridis is not listed under any importance categories.

Taxonomy icon Taxonomy Taxon English term
Phylum Cnidaria Sea anemones, corals, sea firs & jellyfish
Class Hexacorallia
Authority Allman, 1846
Recent synonyms None
Map icon Recorded Distribution in Britain and Ireland Corynactis viridis reaches its northern limit in Shetland. It is found around the south and west coasts of Britain and all around Ireland.
Habitat information icon Habitat information Corynactis viridis occurs from the lower shore and into the subtidal to about 50 m (sometimes to 80 m) on rocks, in caves and beneath overhangs where it is shaded from light. The anemone is often found in dense aggregations especially on vertical rock faces.
Text page icon Description This is a short and squat anemone with a smooth column. The anemone has up to 100 tentacles, each ending in a small knob. Corynactis viridis is brilliantly coloured and can be green, pink, red, orange or white in various combinations. Usually the disc, tentacles and tentacle tips are contrasting colours.
Identifying features
  • Base up to 10 mm in diameter and up to 15 mm in height.
  • Smooth column.
  • Up to 100 knobbed tentacles.
  • Variety of colours including green, pink, red, orange and white.
  • Often found in dense aggregations on vertical rock faces
Additional information icon Additional information

This review can be cited as follows:

Olwen Ager 2007. Corynactis viridis. Jewel anemone. Marine Life Information Network: Biology and Sensitivity Key Information Sub-programme [on-line]. Plymouth: Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. [cited 18/06/2013]. Available from: <http://www.marlin.ac.uk/speciesinformation.php?speciesID=3061>