Caribbean Sea Flowers

Montserrat Post released a set of four stamps feature the Caribbean Sea flowers on May 2, 2006. The species depicted on stamps are Tube dwelling anemone , Giant Caribean Anemone , Beadlet Anemone, Golden Crinoid.
 

 

Tube Dwelling Anemone or Pachycerianthus fimbriatus is a mono-chromal anemone that burrows in substrate through a semi-rigid tube. The anemone is often seen in bright orange to red. Like most anemones, the tube-dwelling anemone contains stinging cells or nematocytes along its tentacles, however, the cells are not toxic to humans.They feeds on small crustaceans.

 

Giant Caribean Anemone  or  called Condylactis gigantea is a tropical species of sea anemone that is found in coral reefs and other shallow inshore areas in the Caribbean Sea (more specifically the West Indies) and the western Atlantic Ocean including southern Florida through the Florida Keys.This species can easily be seen growing in lagoons or on inner reefs as either individuals or loose groups, but never as colonies.

The giant Caribbean  anemone is usually found in the crevices of rock walls, attached to a rock, shell, or almost any other hard object in shallow water that experiences full–strength seawater most of the time.

Beadlet Anemone  or Actima equina can be found both in exposed and sheltered situations.

Actima equina is highly adapted to the intertidal zone as it can tolerate both high temperatures and desiccation.

Actima equina may also be found in regions of variable salinity such as estuaries. Underwater, it displays up to 192 tentacles, arranged in six circles. Out of water, the tentacles retract and the anemone resembles a blob of red, brown, green or orange jelly, up to about 5 centimetres  across.

Nemaster rubiginosa or Davidaster rubiginosus or the Golden crinoid is a species of crinoid in the family Comasteridae.  It is found on reefs in the tropical western Atlantic and the Caribbean Sea.

The orange sea lily or golden crinoid is found on reefs at depths of between 10 and 30 metres. Its range includes Florida, the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico and the Bahamas southwards to the coast of Brazil.

The Golden crinoid is a stalkless crinoid. It has twenty to thirty five arms 10 to 20 centimetres  long radiating from the calyx, a cup-like body with a lid, the tegmen. Each arm is feather-like and has many pinnules projecting alternately from one side and the other.