Vol. XXXVII. December, IQIQ. No. 6. 



BIOLOGICAL BULLETIN 



THE ORANGE STRIPED ANEMONE (SAGARTIA 

 LUCLE, VERRILL). AN ECOLOGICAL STUDY. 



LEON AUGUSTUS HAUSMAN, PH.D., 

 CORNELL UNIVERSITY. 



The orange striped anemone (Sagartia lucics Verrill) is one 

 of the commonest of the marine invertebrates to be found along 

 the Connecticut coast. It was first observed at New Haven 

 in 1892 by Miss Lucy Verrill, and described in 1898 under the 

 name of Sagartia lucice by Professor Verrill, who believed that it 

 had been introduced into this locality from more southerly 

 waters of North America, possibly on the shells of oysters. 

 From New Haven it has greatly extended its range, and in 1901 

 was reported as being found as far north as Salem, Mass. 



The morphology and anatomy of Sagartia liifice, as well as 

 its general physiology and geographical dispersal, have been 

 ably dealt with in earlier papers. The present contribution 

 embodies the results of a summer's observations made at various 

 points along the Connecticut shore of Long Island Sound, and is 

 chiefly concerned with the ecological relationships of the creature. 



Although Sagartia luciee is one of the most numerous of the 

 invertebrates of the littoral fauna of Long Island Sound, it is, 

 nevertheless, an inconspicuous member of the fauna, both 

 because of its diminutive size (being normally about a quarter 

 of an inch, or less, in diameter) and because of the concealing 

 character of its olive green coloration. The bright orange stripes, 

 to the number of about twelve in adults, further aid in rendering 

 the creature inconspicuous by interrupting the contour of the 

 body. The tentacles are usually arranged in four rather ill- 

 defined rows, each row consisting of twelve tentacles. Within 

 each row there is contained one tentacle, larger and longer than 

 the rest, which normally corresponds in location with an orange 



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