Galapagos Species Database

The Galapagos Species Database shares the information about the species from our Natural History Collections.

Phymactis papillosa (Lesson, 1830)

anemona, Sea anemone

Individuals are typically 50 mm in diameter and length, with the column, tenticles and oral disc coloured a solid bright red.

Uncommon but widlespread throughout the center of the Galapagos archipelago, attached to the underside of low intertidal rocks.

Taxonomy

Domain
Eukaryota

Kingdom
Animalia

Phylum
Cnidaria

Class
Anthozoa

Order
Actiniaria

Suborder
Nyantheae

Superfamily
Endomyaria

Family
Actiniidae

Genus
Phymactis

Species
papillosa

Taxon category: Accepted

Syn.: Bunodactis papillosa (Verrill, 1899), fide Appeltans et al. (2010)

Origin: Native

Status

IUCN Red List Category: Not evaluated

Distribution

Map of specimen collection localities or observation records for this species in our collections database.

Distribution: Found from Baja California to southern Chilie, including Juan Fernandez Island, Easter Island and Galapagos.

References

  • Appeltans, W. Bouchet, P., Boxshall, G.A., Fauchald, K., Gordon, D.P., Hoeksema, B.W., Poore, G.C.B., van Soest, R.W.M., Stöhr, S., Walter, T.C., Costello, M.J. (eds.) (2010) World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS). Available online at http://www.marinespecies.org.
  • Hickman, C.P. Jr. (2008) A field guide to corals and other radiates of Galápagos. Sugar Spring Press, Lexington, Virginia, 162 pp.
  • Fautin, D.G. Hickman, C.P., Jr., Daly, M. & Molodtsova, T. (2007) Shallow-water sea anemones (Cnidaria: Anthozoa: Actiniaria) and tube anemones (Cnidaria: Anthozoa: Ceriantharia) of the Galápagos Islands. Pacific Science 61(4): 549-573.

You are welcome to download and use the information found in this page, acknowledging its source.

This page should be cited as follows:

"Galapagos Species Database, Phymactis papillosa", dataZone. Charles Darwin Foundation, https://datazone.darwinfoundation.org/en/checklist/?species=7877. Accessed 6 May 2025.