Liponema brevicorne ( McMurrich, 1893 )

Sanamyan, N. P., Sanamyan, K. E., Bocharova, E. S., Morozov, T. B. & Galkin, S. V., 2023, Sea anemones (Actiniaria, Corallimorpharia and Zoantharia) from the Western Bering Sea (Northwest Pacific), Invertebrate Zoology 20 (1), pp. 27-56 : 34-35

Liponema brevicorne ( McMurrich, 1893)

Fig. 2 J .

Bolocera brevicornis McMurrich, 1893: 158 ; 1898: 231; 1904: 257; Verrill, 1922:117.

Bolocera multicornis : Carlgren, 1921: 144 (only specimens from Bering Island).

Liponema multicornis : Carlgren, 1932: 260; 1933: 11 (only specimens from Bering Island).

Liponema brevicornis : Carlgren, 1949: 55; Dunn, Bakus, 1977: 78.

Liponema brevicorne : Eash-Loucks, Fautin, 2012: 40.

MATERIAL. LV-75-2, 55.4172ºN 167.2768ºE – 55.4174ºN 167.2767ºE, depth 373–375 m, one specimen photographed; LV-75-21, 55.4875ºN 167. 2600ºE – 55.4839ºN 167.2582ºE, depth 2810– 2757 m, one specimen photographed.

LV-82-9, 55.3520°N 167.2740ºE – 55.3540°N 167.2730ºE, depth 1755– 1698 m, two specimens photographed; LV-82-11, 60.8224ºN 174.4023ºE – 60.8544ºN 174.3484ºE, depth 715– 553 m, four specimens photographed; LV-82-12, 60.8550ºN 174. 3487ºE – 60.8901ºN 174.2908ºE, depth 551– 431 m, eleven specimens photographed; LV-82-14, 61. 0991ºN 175.0057ºE – 61.1201ºN 174.9661ºE, depth 847– 663 m, two specimens photographed; LV-82- 15, 61.1369ºN 174.9397ºE – 61.1733ºN 174.8775ºE, depth 547– 427 m, four specimens photographed; LV-82-19, 61.1538ºN 175.4497ºE – 61.1579ºN 175. 4070ºE, depth 694– 685 m, three specimens collect- ed (sample 6) and eight specimens photographed; LV-82-21, 60.8341ºN 174.3724ºE – 60.8332ºN 174. 3740ºE, depth 660 m, one specimen photographed.

REMARKS. 37 specimens of this species were photographically documented during two expeditions at the depths 373–2810 m, three of them were collected.

This is a large species which usually lies unattached on soft bottom but sometimes occurs on stony bottom. The living specimens are up to 15 cm in diameter, dome-shaped, column hidden below the oral disc covered by tentacles. For movement, it can take a cylindrical shape and roll on the sea bottom ( Dunn, Bakus, 1977, fig. 8). The color varies from white or pale-rose to bright-rose or purple. In the process of collecting and fixation, the tentacles fall off due to the contraction of the sphincter muscle located at the base of each tentacle, and most preserved specimens are devoid of the tentacles (partially or completely).

The present species strongly resembles Liponema multicorne (Verrill, 1880) , known from North Atlantic, but currently Pacific L. brevicorne and Atlantic L. multicorne are treated as valid. Thus, the specimens from the Bering Island (135 m), identified by Carlgren (1921) as Bolocera multicornis Verrill, 1880 , are treated here as L. brevicorne . Third species, Liponema multiporum Hertwig, 1882 , is known from South Pacific.

In the western part of the Bering Sea this species was not previously reported, although it is known off the American and Asian coasts of the North Pacific from depths of 102–4134 m ( Eash-Loucks, Fautin, 2012).

Figures

Fig. 2. A — Relicanthus cf. daphneae; B — Actinernus robustus; C — Edwardsia sp.; D–E — Edwardsiidae spp. from the Vulcanologov Massif; F — Edwardsiidae sp. from the Koryak slope; G — Dactylanthus sp.; H — Cribrinopsis sp.1; I — cf. Urticina sp.; J — Liponema brevicorne; K — Sicyonis denisovi; L — S. kuznetsovi. Рис. 2. A — Relicanthus cf. daphneae; B — Actinernus robustus; C — Edwardsia sp.; D–E — Edwardsiidae spp. на массиве Вулканологов; F — Edwardsiidae sp. на КорЯкском склоне; G — Dactylanthus sp.; H — Cribrinopsis sp.1; I — cf. Urticina sp.; J — Liponema brevicorne; K — Sicyonis denisovi; L — S. kuznetsovi.