The lebensspuren of some common marine invertebrates near beaufort, North Carolina. II. Anemone Burrows

Recent burrowing anemones in the vicinity of Beaufort, North Carolina, may be divided into two groups. Actinians--represented by Paranthus rapiformis (Lesueur)--dig vertical, unlined, body-size burrows which collapse readily if the animal is removed. Cerianthids--represented by Ceriantheopsis americanus (Verrill)--construct durable, cnidaceous tubes which line their deep, vertical burrows. Except for bioturbate textures, burrows of the first group are much less suited for preservation than dwelling tubes of the second group. Tubes of conspecific cerianthids exhibit conspicuous morphologic variation; in the rock record this might be taken erroneously as a reflection of species diversity. Burrows of these Recent anemones are potentially useful in environmental reconstructions, especially regarding rates of deposition and character of the substrate; to a lesser extent, they may also be useful in paleobathymetry.