Fish-eating Anemones

TAXONOMY

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Cnidaria

Class: Anthozoa

Subclass: Zoantharia

Order: Actiniara (anemones)

Family: Actiniidae

 

Genus/species: Urticina piscivora

 

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS:Large to 20 cm (8 inches) high and 26 cm (10 inches) across. The column is red (without spots) with some white. Tentacles are white, and the oral disc is creamy yellow. Normally they do not accumulate debris such as shells and sand.

 

DISTRIBUTION/HABITAT: Alaska to southern California. Found in low intertidal areas with rocky attachment sites and at least moderate current. Depth to about 50 m (160 feet)

 

DIET IN THE WILD: Invertebrates, shrimp and small fishes. These anemones have no zooxanthellae and depend wholly on capturing their food, a strategy aided by their exceptionally virulent nematocysts (stinging cells), which can cause long-lasting lesions on humans. Food items are usually swept into the central mouth by the tentacles where enzymes digest the food. Non digested items are expelled out through the mouth.

 

CONSERVATION: IUCN Not evaluated

 

REMARKS: One fish species, the painted greenling (Oxylebius pictus), has been observed lying unharmed in this anemone much as clownfish do in tropical anemones.

 

Location: "California Coastal Marine Reef"

 

References

 

California Academy of Sciences Steinhart Aquarium California Coastal Marine Reef Exhibit

 

eol eol.org/pages/2549643/details

 

Walla Walla University www.wallawalla.edu/academics/departments/biology/rosario/...

 

Georgia Aquarium animalguide.georgiaaquarium.org/home/galleries/cold-water...

 

Ron's Wordpress shortlink wp.me/p1DZ4b-1l6

 

Ron's flickr www.flickr.com/photos/cas_docents/3702912695/in/set-72157...

 

2-16-17

Done