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Fig. 3 | Marine Biodiversity Records

Fig. 3

From: Clownfish hosting anemones (Anthozoa, Actiniaria) of the Red Sea: new associations and distributions, historical misidentifications, and morphological variability

Fig. 3

Carpet anemone species that were observed hosting Amphiprion bicinctus (a, c) during in situ surveys in the Red Sea with identifying characteristics of the column and tentacles shown (b, d). a, b: Stichodactyla mertensii. c, d: Stichodactyla haddoni. e, f: Stichodactyla gigantea hosting Amphiprion percula in Papua New Guinea. Column verrucae help to distinguish between carpet species; S. haddoni differs from both S. gigantea and S. mertensii in having no discernable verrucae, while S. mertensii is distinguishable from S. gigantea by its bulbed tentacle tips (compared to tapered) and verrucae which lengthen into lines and ultimately into streaks on the pedal disc (S. gigantea verrucae remain more circular and do not persist to the pedal disc). Stichodactyla gigantea was not encountered on any surveys in the Red Sea, and is only shown here to illustrate the differences in morphology (photos by Morgan Bennett-Smith)

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