The following is the award comment from the Zoological Society of Japan
In 1918, there was the discovery of a new species of sea anemone Synactinernus flavus. It was part of the family Actinernidae and the only member of the genus Synactinernus. In recent years, scientific papers were published on the invalidation of the theory that Synactinernus flavus was the same as another sea anemone Isactinernus quadrilobatus. In this paper, a sea anemone that was collected from locations in western Japan was discovered to be in the same Synactinernus genus. The results of morphology and molecular phylogenetics confirmed that the Churaumi antinernid sea anemone was a new species in the genus Synactinernus.
Furthermore, based on rearing records, transverse fission of S. flavus was confirmed in Actinernoidea sea anemones for the first time, and this has contributed to an understanding of its ecological features.  The specimen used for the re-description and confirmation of the genus Synactinernus was an individual that had been reared as an unidentified species in the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium. This important discovery, that began 100 years ago, was achieved through collaboration between the aquarium and researchers.