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What is an anemone?

Belonging in the order Actiniaria, anemones are polyps with colourful tentacles resembling a flower, hence their name. They are voracious marine predators, closely related to jellyfish.

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Beadlet anemone

Actinia equina

•Colour varies from deep red to green

•Have bright blue beads called “acrorhagi”

•Often retract into jelly-like blobs when out of water to prevent drying out

•Found low to high shore

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Strawberry anemone

Actinia fragacea

•Large, bright red anemone, gets its name from the bright green spots on its column

•Often found in crevices and underhangs

•Found low to mid shore

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Daisy anemone

Cereus pedunculatus

•Hundreds of short blue and white patterned tentacles

•Usually found half buried in substrate so that only tentacles are visible

•Wide mouth

•Found mid to low shore

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Snakelocks anemone

‍Anemone viridis

•Long tentacles that do not withdraw

•Tentacles are vivid green with pink tips

•May also appear as uniformly brown/ pink in colour

•Found low to mid shore

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Dahlia anemone

Urticina felina

•Very colourful, banded tentacles

•Often has substrate attached to column

•Base up to 15cm

•Found low shore

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Gem anemone

Aulactinia verrucosa

•Short anemone

•Banded, translucent tentacles

•Brown/ grey with cream-coloured warts on column

•Found mid to low shore

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