Sertularia argentea
| Sertularia argentea | ||||||||||||
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Colony of Sertularia argentea |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Sertularia argentea | ||||||||||||
| ( Linnaeus , 1758) |
Sertularia argentea is a species of cnidarians from the order Leptomedusae .
Habitat and colonies
The plant-like colonies of the polyps of this species colonize the littoral of the European seas and the North Atlantic from the Arctic to Cape Hatteras .
The colonies of Sertularia argentea externally resemble a small pine tree , which is why they are also called "sea fir" in English. They usually reach a length of 15 cm, but can be up to 30 cm long.
"Neptune plant"
The colonies are often bycatch from trawlers fishing the North Sea . When dried and colored green, the skeletons of the colonies look like a plant. They are used as decoration under names like “Neptune plant”.
Sometimes such “plants” are advertised with the claim that they have an insecticidal effect. The UK Advertising Standards Authority banned such advertising claims as being inaccurate in 2008.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c World Register of Marine Species : Sertularia argentea , accessed August 5, 2012
- ^ Encyclopedia of Marine Life of Britain and Ireland: Sertularia argentea , accessed August 5, 2012
- ↑ h2g2 : The Neptune 'Plant' , accessed August 5, 2012