Timid Burrowing Anemone (Edwardsia timida)
Key Details
| Taxonomic Groups: | Invertebrate > coelenterate (=cnidarian) > Cnidarian |
| Red List Status: | (Not Relevant) [(not listed)(nr)] |
| D5 Status: | |
| Section 41 Status: | (not listed) |
| Taxa Included Synonym: | (none) |
| UKSI Recommended Name: | Edwardsia timida |
| UKSI Recommended Authority: | Quatrefages, 1842 |
| UKSI Recommended Qualifier: | (none specified) |
| Red List Citation: | (not listed) |
| Notes on taxonomy/listing: | (none) |
Criteria
| Question 1: | Does species need conservation or recovery in England? |
| Response: | Yes |
| Justification: | Little is known about this species and it is rarely recorded in England. The National Biodiversity Network atlas has a single record in England for this species from 2012 in Cornwall. |
| Question 2: | Does recovery/ conservation depend on species-specific actions? |
| Response: | Yes |
| Justification: | Extinct, no British records since 1883 (Telfer 2016), no action proposed. |
| Question 3: | At a landscape scale, would the species benefit from untargeted habitat management to increase habitat mosaics, structural diversity, or particular successional stages? |
| Response: | No |
| Justification: | Not relevant to marine species |
Species Assessment
| Current step on the Species Recovery Curve (SRC): | 2. Biological status assessment exists |
| Recovery potential/expectation: | Unknown |
| National Monitoring Resource: | Opportunistic - insufficient |
| Species Comments: | Very little is known about the anemone and habitat. The larvae have a planktonic form and will swim for approximately two months before settling and metamorphosing into the adult form, so potentially have a wide dispersal capability supporting recovery. |
Key Actions
Key Action 1
Proposed Action: There is little evidence for the current distribution of this species and population trends. Surveying and monitoring is a key action to improve understanding of population status and what further actions may be required. Surveys should be targeted around last known English site in the Helford Estuary Cornwall and planned in consultation with researchers.
Action targets: 2. Biological status assessment exists
Action type: Status survey/review
Duration: 2 years
Scale of Implementation: ≤ 20 sites
High priority sites: Helford Estuary, targeted suitable habitats: intertidal to subtidal habitats where there is clean stone, sand and gravel
Comments: This small species may be under-recorded and further survey of known sites and potentially suitable sites is required. The burrowing habitat, small diameter (5mm) and similarity to other species in the genus hinder identification.
Key Action 2
Proposed Action: Develop and implement a monitoring plan at key sites to assess persistence and potentially responses to any changes within sites
Action targets: 3. National Monitoring Plan agreed and implemented
Action type: Education/awareness raising
Duration: 3-5 years
Scale of Implementation: ≤ 10 sites
High priority sites: Existing sites and any adjacent sites that are shown to be suitable to support populations. Currently known only from Fal and Helford. Collaborate with any planned surveys, MPA monitoring etc to assess potentially suitable habitats to provide more information on national distribution.
Comments: Awareness raising could include other species of interest and include pressures monitoring. Costs will vary according to scale of project and approach taken and delivery partner.
Key Action 3
Proposed Action: Based on actions 1 and 2 develop a research plan to understand more about ecology and to provide information about species habitat preferences and dispersal
Action targets: 4. Autecology and pressures understood
Action type: Scientific research
Duration: 3-5 years
Scale of Implementation: Not applicable
High priority sites: Informed by monitoring, disparate study sites and lab research may be required. Currently only known from a single site (Fal & Helford Estuary), clearer understanding of status and distribution would inform what research is required
Comments:
Acknowledgment:
Data used on this website are adapted from Threatened species recovery actions 2025 baseline (JP065): Technical report and spreadsheet user guide (Natural England, 2025). Available here.