Edwardsiidae

species of corals

Edwardsiidae is a family of sea anemones. Edwardsiids have long thin bodies and live buried in sediments or in holes or crevices in rock.

species of cnidarian

Edwardsia is a genus of sea anemones, the type of the family Edwardsiidae. They have eight mesenteries and live in tubes in the sand. The name, in Neo-Latin, commemorates the French zoologist Henri Milne-Edwards.

Nematostella is a genus of sea anemones in the family Edwardsiidae. Of the three species in the genus, the best known is the starlet sea anemone (N. vectensis), which has been extensively studied as a model organism in fields such as genetics, evolution, and ecology. The defining morphological apomorphy of Nematostella is the presence of nematosomes. Nematostella are able to reproduce asexually and regenerate from small fragments due to their simple body structure, pluripotent cells, specific genetic mechanisms, and evolutionary adaptations.