During analysis of macrozoobenthic samples from North Sea waters off Scotland we were aware of several structures (see attached images) which were used by Paguridae as houses. Who can help to identify the "manufacturers" of these curious "organ pipes" made of sand corns.
Hello,
These look like colonies of a colonial anemone, Epizoanthus incrustans. The hermit crabs would have occupied gastropod shells, as normal, but the anemones then colonised the shells, eventually dissolving them away - see the anthozoan Linnean Society guide.
Hello,
These look like colonies of a colonial anemone, Epizoanthus incrustans. The hermit crabs would have occupied gastropod shells, as normal, but the anemones then colonised the shells, eventually dissolving them away - see the anthozoan Linnean Society guide.
Hi
Your pictures show Epizoanthus within the Cnidaria phylum.
Regards, Halldis Ringvold
Thank you very much for your answers. Epizoanthus seems to be the correct "owner". Indeed there exist no gastropod shells anymore. The pagirids were living in these structure without any other shell.
Hi Michael
Nice find! At what depth did you find them?
The specific epithet is not incrustans but incrustatus.
When carried by a hermit crab such a colony is called a carcinoecium.
Hi Godfried,
we found these colonies at two stations.
Stn.177: 57° 29,8 N; 0° 57,7 W, 80 m depth
Stn. 178: 57° 23,0 N; 0° 0,7 W, 74 m depth
Best wishes
Michael
Hi Michael,
I think the Anthozoan is: Epizoanthus paguriphilus and the hermit crab inhabiting it, is probably Parapagurus pilosimanus.
The locality fit for these species (Manuel, 1988).
Kind regards,
Gabin
Hi Gabin,
Epizoanthus incrustatus fits probably a little bit better. Whereas E. paguriphilus is more a western Atlantic species is E. incrustatus more frequent in the eastern Atlantic and also known from the North Sea. However, both species occupy more or less the same area. E. incrustatus is known to inhabit pagurid species as well. Additional informations are of course in the net and in the Guide to Sea Anemones and Corals of Britain and Ireland by Wood (2005).
Best regards
Michael
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