Revision of sea anemone genus Epiactis (Coelenterata: Actiniaria) on the Pacific coast of North America, with descriptions of two new brooding species

Abstract

Two new species of the actiniid genus Epiactis, Epiactis lisbethae and Epiactis fernaldi, are described from the intertidal zone of the San Juan Islands, Washington, U.S.A. The sea anemone genus Cnidopus is synonymized with Epiactis, and its type species, C. ritteri, is restored to the genus in which it was originally described. Thus, four species of Epiactis are known on the Pacific coast of North America: external brooders E. prolifera (type species of the genus) and E. lisbethae, which differ in sexuality and brooding periodicity; and internal brooders E. ritteri and E. fernaldi, which differ in cnidae, sexuality, and histology. These bring the number of nominal species in the genus Epiactis to 19.