Starlet Sea-anemone Nematostella vectensis
The Starlet Sea-anemone (Nematostella vectensis) is one of Britain’s rarest marine invertebrates, a tiny, pale anemone of brackish coastal lagoons and saline ditches. Known from only a handful of sites in England, it was first discovered in Britain at sites along the Suffolk and Essex coasts, and the county retains populations of outstanding national importance. It tolerates a wide range of salinities and temperatures within its specialised lagoonal habitat, but is highly vulnerable to habitat loss, coastal squeeze, and changes in lagoonal hydrology. Suffolk’s coastal lagoons – particularly those in the Benacre and Minsmere areas – are among the most significant sites for this species in Britain. Image: Robert Aguilar, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Flickr.
Find out more: iNaturalist, Marine Life Information Centre, Suffolk LNRS information page
Suffolk’s Priority Marine Life Species
Key
Listed as a conservation priority in Suffolk’s Biodiversity Action Plan.
Closely associated with Suffolk’s landscape and natural identity.
Identified as a key priority for recovery under Suffolk’s Local Nature Recovery Strategy.
Has a Species of the Month article attached.
