Edwardsiella andrillae is a species of sea anemone that uniquely lives anchored to the underside of sea ice offshore of Antarctica. It was discovered in December 2010 during a test run of an undersea robot by a team of researchers associated with the Antarctic Geological Drilling (ANDRILL) Program. The newly discovered anemone was named for the aforementioned program.
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CarnivoreA carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
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SedentarySedentary animals lead such a type of lifestyle in which little to or no physical activity is done. These are mostly marine bottom-dwelling animals...
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OviparousOviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
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starts withAccording to the scientists, the anemones were less than an inch long when contracted, but would feature between twenty and twenty four tentacles and expand out to three to four times their original size when they relaxed. This includes eight longer tentacles placed in a ring around the inside of the animal, and twelve to sixteen on the outer ring.
As of January 2014, the anemone has only been spotted under the Ross Ice Shelf.
It is unclear how the species attaches itself to the sea ice, as it would be unable to conventionally burrow into it as other members of the family do in sand. It is the only known species of anemone to live in ice. Additionally, scientists are unsure of how the species survives the temperatures without freezing, and their methods of reproduction. It is speculated that the creatures feed on the plankton in the water.
