ABSTRACT
Anthozoans, particularly gorgonians, are frequently seen to support echmoderms in both shallow and deep water. It is, however, much rarer for an echinoderm to act as a host for anthozoans. We present evidence for the occurrence of the abyssal anemone Kadosactis commensalis on its holothurian host Paroriza prouhoi (from the N. Atlantic) and a new (as yet unnamed) species of zoanthid on the spines of the bathyal echinoid Stylocidaris lineata (taken from the Bahamas). We discuss the relevance of the distribution of the epizoite on the host, which in each case is an important factor in the access to an adequate food supply for the epizoite. For Kadosactis commensalis position on Paroriza prouhoi has particular consequences in that it is a protandrous hermaphrodite and the larger females always occur at the anterior end of the holothurian, closer to the sediments disturbed during the feeding of Paroriza.
