Sea anemones are very common in the seas of the world. They are bound to the ocean floor and are related to the coral polyps which create the beautiful and magestic coral reefs of the world. Gifted with beautiful arrays of vivid colors and exquisite and delicate tentacles, the sea anemone is one of the most beautiful creatures in the ocean. They are soft-bodied creatures which may date back to the age of the Thunder Reptiles.

Order : Coelenterata

Family : Anthozoa

Genus : Actiniaria

Average Length : Up to 3 feet in diameter

Diet : Varies from fish to plankton

Food, Feeding and Hunting : Though there are some species of sea anemones that feed on plankton, many are carnivorous. They utilize their tentacles to either bring prey forward with a small wave orchestrated by tiny hairs on the tentacles or to grasp unsuspecting fish as they swim by. The larger species use poisonous cells in their tentacles to immobilize their prey which ranges from fish to crustaceans. When prey is within reach, the tentacles grab the victim and stun or kill it. It is then drawn to a tube-like structure leading into the sea anemone's body cavity. As the prey passes through digestive juices break it down, and the animal's tissue's then absorb the food.

Breeding : Sea anemone reproduce in many ways. Some divide into two sections which then each part becomes a seperate animal. Others split off sections of their basal discs which then turn into different animals each and in some the animals produce sperm and eggs. There are also a few species in which the sexes are seperate. In the case of the seperate sexes, both the eggs and sperm cells are released into the water. upon their merging, larvae develope which then settle onto the sea floor to become sea anemones.

Distribution : Sea anemones are distributed throughout the world, in every ocean, in every sea, in every salt water body of water. However, they are most numerous in tropical waters.

Conservation : The only danger to sea anemone is the growing amount of pollutants being deposited in tropical seas. Another danger is the growing exploitation of the reefs world-wide.

Did You Know . . . . .

• The sea anemone provides an excellent example of the natural relationship of symbiosis.
• Many species of sea anemone ride along the backs of hermit crabs as a safe guard predators.
• The most common known friend of the sea anemone is the clown fish which is able to swim millimeters away from deadly stinging cells and manages to live in harmony with the animal.
• The largest sea anemone grow around the Great Barrier reff of Australia.
• The sea anemone has no brain, instead it uses a complex system of nerves which are connected to sense organs and muscles.
• The dahlia anemone utilizes fragments of shell and grains of sand to camouglage itself.