ANIMAL-Flower, in Zoology, a name given to several species of animals belonging to the genus ACTINIA of Linnaeus. They have likewise been distinguished by the names of Urtica Marina, or Sea-nettle, from their supposed property of stinging; and Sea-anemone, from their claws or tentacles being disposed in regular circles, and tinged with a variety of bright lively colours, resembling the petals of some of our most beautiful flowers. As to one species particularly, mentioned by Abbé Dicquemare, (Phil. Trans. for 1773, art. 37.) the purest white, carmine, and ultramarine, are said to be scarce sufficient to express their brilliancy. The bodies of some of them are hemispherical, of others cylindrical, and of others shaped like a fig. Their substance likewise differs: some are stiff and gelatinous, others fleshy and muscular; but all of them are capable of altering their figure when they extend their bodies and claws in search of food. They are found on many of the rocky coasts of the West India islands, and likewise on some parts of the coast of England.
They have only one opening, which is in the centre of the uppermost part of the animal; round this are placed rows of fleshy claws; this opening is the mouth of the animal, and is capable of great extension. The animals themselves, though exceedingly voracious, will bear long fasting. They may be preserved alive a whole year, or perhaps longer, in a vessel of sea-water, without any visible food; but, when food is presented, one of them will successively devour two mussels in their
shells, or even swallow a whole crab as large as a hen's egg. In a day or two the crab-shell is voided at the mouth, perfectly cleared of all the meat. The mussel shells are likewise discharged whole, with the two shells joined together, but entirely empty, so that not the least particle of fish is to be perceived on opening them. An anemone of one species will even swallow an individual of another species; but after retaining it ten or twelve hours, will throw it up alive and uninjured. Through this opening also it produces its young ones alive, already furnished with little claws, which, as soon as they fix themselves, they begin to extend in search of food.
One of the extremities of the sea-anemone resembles, as we have said, the outward leaves of that flower; while its limbs are not unlike the shag or inner part of it. By the other extremity it fixes itself, as by a sucker, to the rocks or stones lying in the sand; but it is not totally deprived of the power of progressive motion, as it can shift its situation, though very slowly.
A particular species of animal-flowers has been found in some of the islands ceded to Britain at the last treaty of peace with France; and the following account of them was published in the Philosophical Transactions, vol. lvii. by Mr Ellis, in a letter to Lord Hillsborough.
"This compound animal, which is of a tender fleshy substance, consists of many tubular bodies swelling gently towards the upper part, and ending like a bulb or very small onion: on the top of each is its mouth, surrounded by one or two rows of tentacles, or claws, which when contracted look like circles of beads.
"The lower part of all these bodies has a communication with a firm fleshy wrinkled tube, which sticks fast to the rocks, and sends forth other fleshy tubes, which creep along them in various directions. These are full of different sizes of these remarkable animals, which rise up irregularly in groups near to one another.
"This adhering tube, that secures them fast to the rock, or shelly bottom, is worthy of our notice. The knobs that we observe, are formed in several parts of it by its insinuating itself into the inequalities of the coral rock, or by grasping pieces of shells, part of which still remain in it, with the fleshy substance grown over them.
"This shows us the instinct of nature, that directs these animals to preserve themselves from the violence of the waves, not unlike the anchoring of mussels, by their fine silken filaments that end in suckers; or rather like the shelly basis of the scrupula, or worm shell, the tree oyster, and the slipper barnacle, &c. whose bases conform to the shape of whatever substance they fix themselves to, grasping it fast with their testaceous claws, to withstand the fury of a storm.
"When we view the inside of this animal dissected lengthwise, we find like a little tube leading from the mouth to the stomach, from whence there rise eight wrinkled small guts, in a circular order, with a yellowish soft substance in them; these bend over in the form of arches towards the lower part of the bulb, from whence they may be traced downwards, to the narrow part of the upright tube, till they come to the fleshy adhering tube, where some of them may be perceived entering into a papilla, or the beginning of an animal of the like kind, most probably to convey it nourishment.
nourishment till it is provided with claws; the remaining part of these slender guts is continued on in the fleshy tube, without doubt, for the same purpose of producing and supporting more young ones from the same common parent.
"The many longitudinal figures that we discover lying parallel to each other, on the inside of the semi-transparent skin, are all inserted in the several claws round the animal's mouth, and are plainly the tendons of the muscles for moving and directing the claws at the will of the animal; they may be likewise traced down to the adhering tube.
"As this specimen has been preserved in spirits, the colour of the animal, when living, cannot be certainly known; it is at present of a pale yellowish brown.
"With regard to its name, it may be called Actinia sociata, or the Cluster Animal flower."
The Abbé Diequemarre, by many curious though cruel experiments, related to the Phil. Trans. for 1773, has shown that these animals possess, in a most extraordinary degree, the power of reproduction; so that scarce any thing more is necessary to produce as many sea anemones as we please, than to cut a single one into as many pieces. A sea anemone being cut in two by a section through the body, that part, where the limbs and mouth are placed, ate a piece of a mussel offered to it soon after the operation, and continued to feed and grow daily for three months after. The food sometimes passed through the animal; but was generally thrown up again, considerably changed, as in the perfect sea anemone. In about two months, two rows of limbs were perceived growing out of the part where the incision was made. On offering food to this new mouth, it was laid hold of and eaten; and the limbs continually increasing, the animal gradually became as perfect as those which had never been cut. In some instances, however, he found that, when one of these creatures was cut through, new limbs would be produced from the cut place, those at the mouth remaining as before: so that a monstrous animal was the consequence, having two mouths, and feeding at both ends. Having put some of them into a pan of water, set over a slow fire, he found that they lost their life at 50 degrees of Reaumur's thermometer. To avoid the imputation of cruelty in these experiments, the author argues the favourable consequences that have attended his operations on the sea anemones which have been so fortunate as to fall into his hands; as he hath not only multiplied their existence, but also renewed their youth; which last, he adds, "is surely no small advantage."
In Hughes's Natural History of Barbadoes, an account is also given of several species of animal-flowers. They are there described as only found in a bason in one particular cave; and of the most remarkable species mentioned by him we have the following description.
"In the middle of the bason, there is a fixed stone, or rock, which is always under water. Round its sides, at different depths, seldom exceeding 18 inches, are seen, at all times of the year, issuing out of little holes, certain substances that have the appearance of fine radiated flowers, of a pale yellow, or a bright straw colour, slightly tinged with green, having a circular border of thick set petals, about the size of, and much resembling, those of a single garden marigold,
except that the whole of this seeming flower is narrower at the discus, or setting-on of the leaves, than any flower of that kind.
"I have attempted to pluck one of these from the rock, to which they are always fixed; but never could effect it: for as soon as my fingers came within two or three inches of it, it would immediately contract, close together its yellow border, and shrink back into the hole of the rock; but if left undisturbed for about four minutes, it would come gradually in sight, expanding, though at first very cautiously, its seeming leaves, till it last it appeared in its former bloom. However, it would again recoil, with a surprising quickness when my hand came within a small distance of it. Having tried the same experiment by attempting to touch it with my cane, and a small slender rod, the effect was the same.
"Though I could not by any means contrive to take or pluck from the rock one of these animals entire; yet I once cut off (with a knife which I had held for a long time out of sight, near the mouth of a hole out of which one of these animals appeared) two of these seeming leaves. These, when out of the water, retained their shape and colour; but, being composed of a membrane-like substance, surprisingly thin, it soon shrivelled up, and decayed."
The reproductive power of the Barbadoes animal-flower is prodigious. Many people coming to see these strange creatures, and occasioning some inconvenience to a person through whose grounds they were obliged to pass, he resolved to destroy the objects of their curiosity, and, that he might do so effectually, caused all the holes out of which they appeared, to be carefully bored and drilled with an iron instrument, so that we cannot suppose but their bodies must have been entirely crushed to a pulp: nevertheless, they again appeared in a few weeks from the very same places.
Plate XXXIV. fig. 1. represents the actinia sociata, or clustered animal-flower, described by Mr Ellis, with its radical tube adhering to a rock: (a) One of the animals stretching out its claws. Fig. 2. A perpendicular dissection of one of the bodies, to show the gullet, intestines, stomach, and fibres or tendons that move the claws: (a) A young one arising out of the adhering tube. Fig. 3. The actinia aster, or animal-flower of the newly ceded islands. Fig. 4. The actinia anemone, or sea anemone from the same place. Fig. 5. The under part of the same by which it adheres to the rocks. Fig. 6. The actinia helianthus, or the sea sun-flower, from ditto. Fig. 7. The under part of the same. Fig. 8. The actinia dianthus, or sea carnation, from the rocks at Hastings in Sussex. This animal adheres by its tail, or sucker, to the upper part of the projecting rocks opposite to the town; and, when the tide is out, has the appearance of a long white fig; this is the form of it when put into a glass of sea water. It is introduced here as a new variety of this animal not yet described.