The starlet sea anemone (Nematostella vectensis) is a species of sea anemone native to the east coast of the United States, with introduced populations along the coast of southeast England and west coast of the United States. Populations have also been located in Nova Scotia, Canada. The starlet sea anemone has a bulbous basal end and a contracting column (usually less than two cm but no more than six cm) in order to burrow into the mud. At the top of the column is an oral disk containing the mouth surrounded by two rings of tentacles - typically 16 but up to 20. Although the general color is a greyish white, recent food consumption may temporarily affect pigmentation.
The genome of N. vectensis has been sequenced.
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there in the night,
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—Walt Whitman (1819–1892)