List of cnidarians of Ireland

There are 302 species of cnidarians (phylum Cnidaria) recorded in Ireland.[1]

The cnidarians' distinguishing feature is cnidocytes, specialized cells that they use mainly for capturing prey. Their bodies consist of mesoglea, a non-living jelly-like substance, sandwiched between two layers of epithelium that are mostly one cell thick. They have two basic body forms: swimming medusae and sessile polyps, both of which are radially symmetrical with mouths surrounded by tentacles that bear cnidocytes. Both forms have a single orifice and body cavity that are used for digestion and respiration. Many cnidarian species produce colonies that are single organisms composed of medusa-like or polyp-like zooids, or both (hence they are trimorphic).[2][3][4]

Cnidarians found in Ireland and Irish waters include sea pens, sea anemones, hydroids, sea jellies ("jellyfish") and corals.

Class Anthozoa

Order Actiniaria (sea anemones)

Family Actiniidae

Actinia fragacea (strawberry anemone)

Family Actinostolidae

Stomphia coccinea

Family Aiptasiidae

Family Capneidae

  • Capnea sanguinea

Family Edwardsiidae

Family Gonactiniidae

Family Halcampidae

  • Halcampa chrysanthellum

Family Halcampoididae

  • Halcampoides elongatus

Family Haloclavidae

Family Hormathiidae

Calliactis parasitica living on the shell of a common whelk, occupied by soldier crab.

Family Metridiidae

Family Sagartiidae

Order Alcyonacea (soft corals)

Family Alcyoniidae

Alcyonium digitatum (dead man's fingers)

Family Gorgoniidae

Eunicella verrucosa

Family Plexauridae

Order Ceriantharia (tube-dwelling anemone)

Family Arachnactidae

Arachnanthus sarsi, photographed off Rathlin Island

Family Cerianthidae

Pachycerianthus multiplicatus (firework anemone)

Order Corallimorpharia

Family Corallimorphidae

Order Pennatulacea (sea pens)

Family Virgulariidae

Order Zoantharia

Family Epizoanthidae

  • Epizoanthus couchii

Family Parazoanthidae

Isozoanthus sulcatus in Lough Hyne

Class Hydrozoa

Order Anthoathecata (athecate hydroids)

Family Bougainvilliidae

Bougainvillia muscus

Family Candelabridae

  • Candelabrum phrygium

Family Corymorphidae

Family Corynidae

Family Eudendriidae

Spanish shawl feeding on Eudendrium ramosum

Family Hydractiniidae

Clava multicornis

Family Hydridae (hydras)

Family Pandeiidae

  • Leuckartiara octona
  • Neoturris pileata

Family Porpitidae (chondrophores)

Velella velella colony

Family Tubulariidae

Tubularia indivisa (oaten pipes hydroid)

Order Leptomedusae (thecate hydroids)

Family Aequoreidae

Family Aglaopheniidae

  • Aglaophenia acacia
  • Aglaophenia kirchenpaueri
  • Aglaophenia pluma (toothed feather hydroid, podded hydroid)
  • Aglaophenia tubiformis
  • Aglaophenia tubulifera
  • Gymnangium montagui
  • Lytocarpia myriophyllum

Family Campanulariidae

Family Haleciidae

Family Halopterididae

  • Antennella secundaria
  • Halopteris catharina
  • Schizotricha frutescens

Family Kirchenpaueriidae

Family Lafoeidae

  • Lafoea dumosa

Family Plumulariidae

  • Nemertesia antennina
  • Nemertesia ramosa
  • Plumularia argentea
  • Plumularia cupressina
  • Plumularia distans
  • Plumularia setacea (plumed hydroid, little sea bristle)
  • Polyplumaria flabellata

Family Sertulariidae

Order Limnomedusae

Family Olindiidae

Craspedacusta sowerbii

Order Siphonophorae (siphonophores)

Family Apolemiidae

Apolemia uvaria (string jellyfish)
  • Apolemia uvaria (string jellyfish, barbed wire jellyfish, long stringy stingy thingy)

Family Physaliidae

Portuguese man-o'-war

Class Scyphozoa (true sea jellies)

Order Rhizostomeae

Family Rhizostomatidae

Rhizostoma pulmo

Order Semaeostomeae (flag-mouth sea jellies)

Family Cyaneidae

Cyanea capillata (lion's mane jelly)

Family Pelagiidae

Family Ulmaridae

Order Scleractinia (stony corals, hard corals)

Family Caryophylliidae

Caryophyllia smithii

Family Oculinidae

Zigzag coral

Class Staurozoa

Order Stauromedusae (stalked jellies)

Family Craterolophidae

  • Craterolophus convolvulus

Family Kishinouyeidae

  • Lucernariopsis campanulata

Family Lucernariidae

References

  1. ^ "Irish Biodiversity: a taxonomic inventory of fauna" (PDF). Retrieved 2023-08-21.
  2. ^ "Species Browser".
  3. ^ "Home" (PDF).
  4. ^ "Sea Anemones and Corals - OceanAddicts".
  5. ^ a b "Common Hydra (Hydra vulgaris) - Detail - Biodiversity Maps".
  6. ^ "Craspedacusta sowerbyi - Detail - Biodiversity Maps".
  7. ^ a b "Coral reefs in Irish Waters".
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