GULF OF MEXICO 



289 



Calliactis tricolor 

 iof] Hejoatus ephehticus ) 



Aiptasiomorpha. luciae 



Mptasia pallida. 



Figure 61. — Anemones from the northern coast of the Gulf of Mexico. 



abundant on hermit crab shells and oxystome crab 

 carapaces (fig. 61) in comparatively shallow water 

 along the Texas coast. Occasionally, a specimen 

 is found living in shallow water attached to some 

 immobile substrate. The column is whitish, 

 cream colored or brownish with darker vertical 

 stripes and darker brown spots marking the 

 cinclides at the base of the column; the acontia 



are bright orange; the tentacles are pinkish to red 

 with darker bandings. The directives are often 

 more deeply colored than the other tentacles. This 

 is a common West Indian species. 

 Aiptasia pallida (Verrill). 



According to Gary, this species (fig. 61) was 

 common on the jetties at Cameron in 1906; I 

 have not seen it on Texas jetties but found it 



