Actinostola faeculenta ( McMurrich, 1893 )

Actinostola faeculenta ( McMurrich, 1893) View in CoL

Fig. 3C View Fig .

Cymbactis faeculenta McMurrich, 1893: 174 ; Carlgren, 1934: 6.

Paractinostola faeculenta View in CoL : Carlgren, 1949: 79.

Actinostola faeculenta View in CoL : Eash-Loucks, Fautin, 2012: 22.

MATERIAL. LV-82-11, 60.8544°N 174. 3484°E – 60.8543°N 174.3490°E, depth 553– 551 m, sample 1, one specimen collected; LV-82-12, 60. 8566ºN 174.3449ºE – 60.8764ºN 174.3054ºE, depth 545– 475 m, six specimens photographed; LV-82- 14, 61.1027°N 174.9998°E – 61.1202°N 174. 9642°E, depth 811– 656 m, three specimens photographed; LV-82-15, 61.1395°N 174.9359°E – 61. 1778°N 174.8708°E, depth 538– 418 m, two specimens collected (samples 2 and 12) and seven specimens photographed; LV-82-16, 61.1787°N 174. 8704°E – 61.1899°N 174.8345°E, depth 415– 356 m, four specimens photographed; LV-82-18, 61.1198°N 174.9638°E, depth 652 m, one specimen photographed; LV-82-20, 61.1724°N 174.8794°E, depth 428 m, sample 5, one specimen collected; LV-82- 21, 60.8305°N 174.3770°E – 60.8343°N 174. 3720°E, depth 672– 660 m, one specimen photographed.

PL-99-39, 59.932°N 167.083°E – 59.928°N 167. 115°E, depth 128 m, samples 7, 8, 10, 13 and 14, five specimens collected; PL-99-95, 60.800°N 173. 252°E – 60.798°N 173.283°E, depth 347– 344 m, sample 20, one specimen collected.

PK-37-10, 59.355°N 166.484°E – 59.354°N 166.457°E, depth 457– 442 m, sample 7, one specimen collected; PK-37-46, 61.240°N 176.218°E – 61.227°N 176.211°E, depth 932–950 m, sample 17, one specimen collected; PK-37-55, 61.404°N 176. 353°E – 61.397°N 176.328°E, depth 440– 430 m, sample 22, many small specimens collected.

VM-78, 61.8483ºN 177.1166ºE – 61.8533ºN 177.1716ºE, depth 250–253 m, sample 4, one specimen collected.

REMARKS. Large, easily recognizable in underwater photographs sea anemone with high palecolored column and dark-red or orange oral disc with very numerous (up to 300 and more) relatively short (1.5–3.5 cm) tentacles. The tentacles have white thickenings at the base on the aboral side. The height of well expanded specimens is up to 15 cm, the diameter of the column is 7–8 cm in the middle and 9–10 cm at the base, the oral disc is two times larger, up to 14 cm; the tentacular crown up to 20 cm in diameter. The column is covered by small tubercles, which become larger toward the margin. Among 26 specimens photographed by ROV in situ, 11 had paler coloration with orange oral disc and column with orange tint more saturated at the base (one specimen collected) while the other specimens had dark-red oral disc and pale, not colored column (three specimens collected). Both forms occur together in the same stations. Molecular analysis of collected specimens showed differences between paler and darker specimens and high similarity between darker specimens. The species was recorded on 128–950 m on the entire continental slope from Cape Govena to Cape Navarin and is the dominant sea anemone species in trawl collections in this region. It also occurs in the periphery of cold seeps discovered on the Koryak slope. It has not been recorded on the Vulcanologov Massif. Carlgren (1949: 79) under the question assigned this species to the genus Paractinostola Carlgren, 1928 , which he distinguished from Actinostola Verrill, 1883 by the fact that the mesenteries at the base in Paractinostola are fewer than those at the margin. Riemann-Zürneck (1978) considered this difference to be insufficient for separation of genera, and the present species is currently assigned to Actinostola (see Eash-Loucks, Fautin, 2012).