Where can I find the animal?
This anemone is found in the Red Sea and the Indo-Pacific from East Africa to Australia, Micronesia, Melanesia and Japan. It is also found in New Caledonia.
This anemone is often deeply embedded in crevices, with only its swollen tentacles visible. It is found on reef flats and reef slopes at depths of up to 20 metres. It is a ubiquitous species, found from the coastline to the outer slope.
How can you recognise it?
This species of anemone is characterised by tentacles measuring around ten centimetres, ending in a bulbous swelling shaped like a bulb or teat. The tentacles are generally brown, but the tips vary in colour, ranging from pink and purple to red and green.
What makes it special?
This animal species belongs to the cnidarians, like jellyfish and corals. Its stinging tentacles enable it to capture small invertebrates and zooplankton. Like coral, it contains zooxanthellae in its tissues, which provide part of its food through photosynthesis.
Adult anemones are solitary and live at greater depths, while young individuals are grouped in colonies at shallower depths. The presence of zooxanthellae in their tissues implies a need for light.
Sexual reproduction occurs through the simultaneous release of male and female gametes, and the eggs already contain zooxanthellae. In aquariums, anemones often reproduce asexually by dividing into two separate individuals.
