Anemones. Sea anemones Sea animal sea anemone
Sea anemones
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Sea anemones in a drawing by Ernst Haeckel (1904) |
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Actiniaria Hertwig, |
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Sea anemones, or sea anemones(lat. Actiniaria) - a detachment of marine cnidarians from the class of coral polyps ( Anthozoa). Representatives lack a mineral skeleton. As a rule, single forms. Most sea anemones are sessile organisms that live on hard ground. Few species (eg. Nematostella vectensis) switched to a burrowing lifestyle in the thickness of bottom sediments.
Body structure
The cylindrical body of sea anemones varies in diameter from a few mm to 1.5 meters.
Their length varies from 1.5 to 10 cm. It has a record height (1 m) Metridium farcimen from the Pacific Northwest Coast of the USA. They are attached to hard substrates using a “sole” (pedal disc). In burrowing forms that live on soft soils (for example, sand), special bodies no attachment is formed, but the expanded basal end of the body forms a swelling (physa), shaped like an onion or mushroom and serves for anchoring in the ground. In unusual tropical sea anemones of the genus Minyas(some species of this genus are colored aqua) in the swelling of the pedal disc there is an air-filled chitinous bladder. These sea anemones float passively “upside down” at the surface of the water. Similar adaptations to life in neuston arose in hydroid polyps Velella And Porpita, which can be considered as an example of parallelism in the evolution of representatives of different taxa.
Anemones in most cases bear six or more than eight simple tentacles tapering to a point. There is often a terminal pore at the tip of each tentacle. In a number of species, the tentacles are branched, have expanded tips (“knobs”), or, conversely, are reduced to the state of numerous low knobs that evenly cover the entire oral disc, as, for example, in sea anemones of the genus Stoichactis. Some sea anemones (for example, representatives of the genera Actinia And Anthopleura) protect themselves from competitors with the help of special tentacle-like outgrowths - acrorags. These outgrowths extend from the body somewhat below the bases of the true tentacles. Acroragas carry nematocysts and are capable of inflating. Sea anemones resort to this “weapon” when in contact with representatives of another species or with sea anemones of the same species, but a genetically different clone. The collision results in tissue damage and the retreat of one or both opponents.
The body of sea anemones is usually uniform along the entire length from the oral to the pedal disc, but in representatives of some species the upper part of the body, lying just below the oral disc and tentacles, is a neck-like thin-walled introvert, or capitulum. The body wall below the introvert is usually thicker. The transitional area between the introvert and the rest of the body often bears a fold in the form of a collar (parapet), as in representatives of the genera Actinia, Metridium And Urticina. When, during the contraction of the polyp, the oral disc, tentacles and capitulum are drawn inward, the transitional region narrows so that the parapet covers and protects the remaining opening. The narrowing is caused by contraction of the sphincter muscle located in the epidermis or mesoglea.
Externally, the body wall may be more or less smooth and undifferentiated, or may bear specialized structures. Dense papillae cover the body Haloclava producta And Bunodosoma cavernata. Rows of adhesive papillae (warts) cover the body of other sea anemones, e.g. Anthopleura, Urticina, Bundosoma And Bunodactis. Grains of sand and fragments of mollusk shells are glued to these papillae, which protect the animal's body. Some sea anemones have cinclids, through which water and acontia, if present, are thrown out during body contraction. Sea anemones (species of the genus Bunodeopsis), over the surface of which thin-walled vesicles (vesicles) containing zooxanthellae protrude separately or organized in groups.
Some sea anemones have one siphonoglyph, but, as a rule, there are two siphonoglyphs. Usually there are both complete and incomplete pairs of septa. Their number is never less than 12, and often much more. Actions may or may not be present. Acontium-bearing sea anemones (such as Aiptasia, Bartholomea And Metridium) are called aconciate. The longitudinal muscle cords in the septa are exceptionally well developed. They are attached to the oral and pedal discs and are primarily responsible for retraction of the oral disc and tentacles, as well as contraction of the entire body.
At the pole of the body, facing away from the substrate, there is a slit-like mouth surrounded by a corolla of tentacles.
Sea anemones lack a mineral skeleton: their supporting function is taken over by intestinal cavity, which is isolated from the environment when the mouth opening is closed. The coordinated work of this hydroskeleton and the muscles of the body wall turns out to be quite effective: among the sea anemones there are representatives that are able to move through the thickness of the soil. Most anemones are capable of strongly contracting and expanding, which means that their shape and size depend on the specific circumstances in which they find themselves at a given time. Some species secrete a chitinous periderm, which is primarily used for defense. The periderm is usually confined to the pedal disc or body wall below the introvert. The most intense formation of chitin is characteristic of pelagic sea anemones of the genus Minyas, as well as for representatives of the group of deep-sea, so-called frilled sea anemones (genus Stylobates).
Sea anemones, which are usually attached to the substrate, can slowly “slide” along it due to the contraction of the pedal disk muscles. Burrowing forms make holes in the ground due to peristaltic contractions of the body, while movement is carried out with the pedal pole forward. Some sea anemones can “walk” on tentacles, and Gonactinia prolifera(a hydra-sized organism) swims by striking the water with its tentacles. Large sea anemone Stomphia usually attached to the substrate, but when a predatory starfish tries to attack it, the anemone can separate from the substrate and swim due to the flapping movements made by the lower part of its body.
Many anemones are brightly colored: they can be white, green, blue, orange, red, and also multi-colored.
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Ecology and nutrition
They feed on various small invertebrates, sometimes fish, first killing or paralyzing the prey with “batteries” of stinging cells (cnidocytes), and then pulling them to the mouth using tentacles. Large species feed on crabs, bivalves, which are washed away by waves. The edges of the mouth that form the “lip” can swell and also help capture prey. Sea anemones with numerous tentacles, such as Metridium, Radianthus And Stichodactyla, feed on particles suspended in water, but there is evidence that Stichodactyla helianthus catches sea urchins by enveloping them with its muscular oral disc. Forms that feed on particles suspended in water catch plankton inhabitants with the help of mucus that covers the surface of the body and tentacles. The cilia on the surface of the body always beat in the direction of the oral disc, and the cilia on the tentacles ensure the movement of food particles to their tips. The tentacles then bend and carry the food into the mouth.
The gastrodermis of many sea anemones contains zooxanthellae, zoochlorella, and sometimes both. They are especially numerous in the tentacles and oral disc. Individual color variability Anthopleura elegantissima determined by the predominance of zoochlorella or zooxanthellae. Tropical sea anemone Lebrunia danae has two "sets" of tentacles: a corolla of simple tentacles for catching prey and a corolla of "pseudo-tentacles" containing zooxanthellae. The pseudotentacles, in which photosynthesis occurs thanks to the symbionts, are spread out during the day, and the tentacles for catching prey are spread out at night.
May cause painful burns in humans.
Symbiosis
Sea anemones and hermit crabs form very common symbiotic systems that are often found in the seas. As a rule, one or several sea anemones settle on one crayfish. It is believed that sea anemones derive a variety of benefits from this cohabitation: the presence of a substrate (a shell occupied by a hermit crab) for attachment, transportation to food sources, including pieces of food dropped by the sea anemone from a feeding crayfish, protection from predators. Hermit crab encounters likely provide breeding opportunities not only for hermit crabs themselves, but also for sea anemones. Crayfish, in turn, receive passive protection from sea anemones (the sea anemones well camouflage their partner in the symbiotic system) and active protection in the form of numerous nematocysts. Most importantly, sea anemones repel enemies of cancer such as octopuses and crabs of the genus Calappa. When a hermit crab “grows” out of its shell and, having molted, looks for a larger shell, it helps the sea anemone move to a new place of residence. To do this, the crayfish strokes the anemone, stimulating the relaxation of its pedal disk, and then moves it to the surface of a new shell. Some species of sea anemones themselves move to a new shell, performing a “somersault over their heads.”
As they grow, hermit crabs look for increasingly larger gastropod shells. At the moment of "relocation" the cancer is actually defenseless, since at this time it becomes vulnerable to predators. Sometimes he also has to fight with other hermit crabs, because there are often not enough suitable shells for everyone. Anemones from the genus Stylobates with the help of their expanded and flattened pedal disk, they form a chitinous “surrogate” shell, which the cancer occupies - in the deep-sea areas where these hermit crabs and their sea anemones live, there are few suitable shells. Since the sea anemone not only creates a “shell”, but also gradually expands it, the cancer avoids the dangers associated with changing the shell. Sea anemones Stylobates also benefit from the fact that they are not left “unattended” while changing the sink. In addition, the hermit crab can drive away enemies of the sea anemone and accidentally share food with it.
Small Indo-Pacific fish of the genus Amphiprion(clown fish) live between the tentacles of large sea anemones, entering into a symbiotic relationship with the latter. Sea anemones “recruit” young fish by releasing substances that attract them (attractants). Attractants are species-specific, that is, they attract organisms only of a certain species. The mucus covering the fish does not contain substances that initiate the firing of nematocysts, so they can exist between the tentacles of the sea anemone in a habitat that is deadly for other animals. The sea anemone provides the fish with protection and food remains, and the fish attract prey (fish of other species) to the “hostess”, protect it from some predators (butterfly fish), remove necrotic tissue, and also, by swimming between the tentacles, “ventilate” the sea anemone, preventing sludge pollution.
In addition to this, sea anemones also form symbiotic systems with some amphipods, shrimp of the genus Periclimenes, click crayfish, crabs of the genus Stenorhynchus and brittle stars.
Reproduction
Asexual reproduction
Spreading
Widely distributed. Sea anemones inhabit deep ocean areas or shallow coastal waters throughout the world. Most live in tropical and subtropical waters. There are an estimated 1,350 species of sea anemones. Sea anemones attach to rocks, mollusk shells and submerged wooden objects, or live a burrowing lifestyle in mud or sand.
see also
Notes
Literature
- Dogel V. A. Zoology of invertebrates, 5th ed. - M., 1959.
- Animal life, vol. 1. - M., 1968, p. 299-306.
- Ruppert E.E., Fox R.S., Barnes R.D. Protists and lower multicellular organisms // Zoology of invertebrates. Functional and evolutionary aspects = Invertebrate Zoology: A Functional Evolutionary Approach / trans. from English T. A. Ganf, N. V. Lenzman, E. V. Sabaneeva; edited by A. A. Dobrovolsky and A. I. Granovich. - 7th edition. - M.: Academy, 2008. - T. 1. - 496 p. - 3000 copies. - ISBN 978-5-7695-3493-5
- // Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron: In 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional ones). - St. Petersburg. , 1890-1907.
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See what "Anemone" is in other dictionaries:
Sea anemones (Actiniaria), an order of six-rayed corals. Solitary (rarely colonial) non-skeletal polyps. Body from several mm to 1.5 m in diameter, with a corolla of tentacles, usually brightly colored. OK. 1500 species, in all seas, from the littoral to the depths... Biological encyclopedic Dictionary
- (sea anemones, sea nettles) beautiful, brightly colored sea animals from class. polyps. A fleshy body, with a suction plate at the bottom, a mouth opening at the top, surrounded by long tentacles, giving the sea anemone the appearance of a flower. Dictionary… … Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language
- (sea anemones) a detachment of marine coelenterates of the class of coral polyps. OK. 1500 species. Sizes from a few millimeters to 1.5 m. Single polyps without a skeleton; tentacles with stinging cells. Mainly in tropical and... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary
sea anemone- sea anemones, sea anemones, sessile animals from the type of coelenterata (Coe lenterata) and the subclass of coral polyps; A. are non-skeletal single polyps with a fleshy body in the form of a sac, the inlet of which is surrounded by many... ... Great Medical Encyclopedia
Sea anemone, order of marine coelenterates; single non-skeletal coral polyps. The body is from a few mm to 1.5 m, with a crown of tentacles (their touch can cause a burn in humans). Usually brightly colored (resembling fantastic flowers). Near… … Modern encyclopedia
If colonies of hydroids and gorgonians look like bizarre bushes and trees, then large coral polyps sea anemones(Actiniaria) resemble fantastic flowers. In many languages they are called sea anemones (see color table 9).
The order of sea anemones includes solitary, only occasionally colonial, animals leading an active lifestyle. Only a few deep-sea species are immovably attached to the substrate. Sea anemones have a cylindrical body shape with a flattened upper (oral disc) and lower end (solar). But in some sea anemones, mainly those that lead a burrowing lifestyle, a sole may not form.
The number of gastric septa in most sea anemones is at least six pairs or a multiple of six. The formation of new pairs of septa almost always occurs in the intermediate gastric chambers. However, there are deviations from this arrangement of partitions in which the number of partitions turns out to be equal to eight or a multiple of eight or ten. Typically, such deviations are especially characteristic of the most primitive sea anemones. It is known that in the process of individual development, all sea anemones go through the stage of four-ray symmetry, which possibly indicates the relationship of sea anemones with eight-armed coral polyps. The greatest similarity to modern eight-rayed corals is in actinium from the genus Edwardsia. These sea anemones lead a burrowing lifestyle, living in the silty sandy soils of coastal shallow waters. Their body, on the surface of which eight longitudinal ridges are visible, has an elongated worm-like shape. The depressions between them correspond to the eight gastric septa. In addition to the eight complete septa, older specimens of Edwardsia develop four more, but incomplete, septa in the upper part of the body. Rolls of longitudinal muscle cords lie on the ventral sides of the septa in these sea anemones, as in the eight-rayed corals. Eight complete and eight incomplete septa are also formed in another archaic sea anemone, Gonactinia. Most Well Known European look gonactinia G. prolifera looks like a small, 2-3 mm long and 1-2 mm wide, transparent column with a soft pink or red color. The oral disc of the sea anemone is surrounded by sixteen delicate tentacles arranged in two rows. Its pharynx is so short that with its mouth open, eight main radial septa are easily visible in its gastric cavity. Gonactinia are attached with their soles to the substrate, most often to mollusk shells, and sometimes even to the trunks of hydroid polyps.
The number of partitions, a multiple of ten, is observed in representatives of the family Myniadidae, very peculiar sea anemones that have switched to a free-swimming lifestyle. They are supported in the water by a special air chamber, similar to the pneumatophore of a siphonophore, called a pneumocystis. It is formed as a result of strong invagination of the sole. At the same time, the edges of the sole come closer and close above the center of the disc recess. Therefore, sea anemone swims at the surface of the water with its mouth down. Like many other swimming coelenterates, Myniadidae are blue. In other sea anemones, the number of partitions, as already mentioned, is equal to six pairs or a multiple of six.
The free edges of the gastric septa have mesenteric filaments rich in glandular and stinging cells. Some sea anemones also form special filaments - aconcia, on which stinging capsules are especially numerous. To protect against attack, these threads are thrown out by sea anemones through the mouth or through special openings in the walls of the body or tentacles. The oral disk of sea anemones is surrounded by tentacles. Depending on the number of tentacles, they are arranged in one or two or even more concentric rows. In each circle, the tentacles are the same size and shape, but the tentacles lying in different circles are often quite different from each other. As a rule, the tentacles correspond to the spaces between the gastraligal septa. Usually the tentacles have a simple conical shape, but sometimes significant deviations from it are observed. In some species, swellings are formed at the ends of the tentacles due to the fact that numerous batteries of stinging capsules develop there. Some tropical shallow-water anemones develop branching or feathery tentacles. One or two pairs are formed at their ends, serving as an additional means for quickly emptying the body cavity.
The mouth opening of higher sea anemones has an oval or slit-like shape. The pharynx is strongly compressed laterally and has two siphonoglyphs. Only those described primitive species there is only one poorly developed siphonoglyph or it is completely absent. The beating of the cilia of the siphonoglyph creates two currents of water: one directed inside the gastric cavity and bringing oxygen (in some sea anemones and food particles), and the other moving in the opposite direction and carrying out carbon dioxide and excretory products.
The muscular system of sea anemones reaches a high level of development for coelenterate animals. The ectodermal system consists of longitudinal fibers lying in the tentacles and radial fibers around the mouth opening. The endodermal system consists of the circular muscles of the tentacles, oral disc, pharynx, body wall and leg disc. Longitudinal muscle ridges lie on the gastric septa.
The nervous system of sea anemones consists of an ectodermal network of nerve cells present in all parts of the body and a poorly developed endodermal network covering only the gastric septa. Especially many nerve cells are concentrated at the bases of the tentacles and on the oral disc. However, this does not lead to the formation of a perioral nerve ring, since the nerve cells are located here very loosely. Another cluster of nerve cells is located near the sole. It is interesting to note that different parts of the body appear to be particularly sensitive to certain stimuli. The sole, for example, is sensitive to mechanical irritations and does not perceive chemical ones. The oral disc, on the contrary, is very sensitive to chemical irritations and almost does not respond to mechanical ones. Perhaps only the walls of the body and tentacles react to mechanical, chemical and electrical stimulation, but the tentacles turn out to be much more sensitive to them than the walls of the body.
The sea anemone's usual reaction to irritation is to contract its body. At the same time, the oral disc and tentacles are retracted, and the walls of the body, compressed by a special muscle ring, close above them. Anemones that lead a burrowing lifestyle, like the Edwardsia described above, quickly burrow into the ground. When exposed to a stimulus for a long time, sea anemones tend to crawl as far away from it as possible.
Sea anemones do not form a skeleton, although the ectoderm of some species secretes a chitinoid cuticle that covers the lateral surface of the body and the sole. Perhaps only in deep-sea sea anemones from the family Galatheanthemidae, which lead a stationary, attached lifestyle, the strong cuticular sheath, which encloses the long worm-like body of the sea anemone, takes on the character of a protective skeleton, similar to the ectodermal skeleton of most hydroid polyps. Dark brown protective covers galatepeanthemide rise to a height of 2-3 to 150 mm. Above their mouth, about 1 cm in diameter, protrudes the upper part of the sea anemone’s body with a crown of numerous thin tentacles. Galateanthemids are one of the deepest-sea coelenterates. They were first discovered several years ago, when a period of systematic exploration of the maximum depths of the ocean began. These sea anemones most often live on the bottom and slopes of deep ocean basins - the Kuril-Kamchatka, Philippine, Japanese and others - at a depth of 6-10 thousand m. Their way of life has not yet been completely studied.
The body of sea anemones is sometimes very strong, although they lack a skeleton. The fact is that the mesoglea of sea anemones usually reaches significant development and often acquires the density of cartilage due to the appearance of a dense fibrous connective substance in it.
Sea anemones reproduce both asexually and sexually. However, asexual reproduction plays a much smaller role in them. Cases of budding in Actiniaria are generally very rare. More often, one individual is divided into 2 or even 3-6 unequal parts. Transverse division is noted only in primitive actinium Gonactinia. In G. prolifera, for example, it proceeds as follows: at a certain height, a corolla of tentacles first grows from the body walls, then the upper part is laced and separated from the lower. At the top, the sole is restored, and at the bottom, an oral disc and pharynx are formed, as well as a second circle of tentacles. Second division gonactinium sometimes it starts before the first one ends.
Longitudinal division is more common in sea anemones. In this case, the oral slit is first divided into two, and then the entire oral disc undergoes the same division, and then the body of the sea anemone is also dismembered. Longitudinal division turns out to be a very long process. From the moment it begins until the complete separation of newly formed sea anemones, several months may pass. Occasionally, longitudinal division of sea anemones is observed, proceeding in the opposite direction - from the sole to the oral disc. In these cases, division proceeds very quickly and is completed in 2-3 hours (Fig. 178).
In addition to the described methods of asexual reproduction, sea anemones have developed another very unique method - the so-called laceration, in which several small individuals are formed at once. During laceration, a small section of it is separated from the sole of an adult sea anemone, containing the remains of the gastric septa. This area then gives rise to new sea anemones (Fig. 178). Although fission by laceration has been known since 1744, the complex process leading to the formation of young sea anemones has not yet been studied.
The ability of sea anemones to regenerate is very high, although it cannot be compared with that of freshwater hydras.
The main method of reproduction of sea anemones is the sexual process. The germ cells of sea anemones are of endodermal origin and mature in the mesogleal layer of the gastric septa. Sea anemones are usually dioecious, although cases of hermaphroditism occur. In these cases, male reproductive cells are formed before female ones (so-called protandric hermaphroditism). Fertilization can be either external or internal. In the latter case, young sea anemones reach the gastric cavity of the mother's body at the planula stage or the stage of formation of tentacles and gastric septa.
Reproduction of sea anemones that live in the cold waters of northern and southern latitudes usually begins in the spring and ends by summer. On the contrary, in tropical waters, sea anemones begin to reproduce in midsummer. Floating planula larvae stay in the plankton for 7-8 days and during this time they are carried by currents over considerable distances.
Sea anemones inhabit almost all seas globe, but, like other coral polyps, they are especially numerous and diverse in warm waters. Towards the cold subpolar regions, the number of sea anemone species decreases rapidly. According to their lifestyle, sea anemones can be divided into benthic and pelagic. Myniadidae are an exclusively pelagic group. Bottom sea anemones have a very wide range of vertical distribution, occurring from the surf to the maximum depths of the ocean. But the vast majority of sea anemone species have adapted to living at shallow depths in coastal shallow waters. These are typical components of rocky fauna, forming dense settlements, moreover, often represented by a single species.
The distribution of shallow sea anemones largely depends on seawater temperature and salinity. In cold subpolar regions, the distribution of sea anemones is more or less circumpolar. Some cold-water sea anemones are found in both the Arctic and Antarctic, i.e. they form so-called bipolar habitats. IN tropical zone There are circumtropical species, but they are much less common than circumpolar ones. This is explained by the fact that tropical shallow areas are usually separated from each other by vast expanses of the ocean with its great depths. The large sea anemone Stoichactis has a typical circumtropical distribution. Some species of sea anemones, however, are insensitive to changes in water temperature. Such sea anemones are usually more widespread. Actinia equina, normal look in our northern seas, found, for example, in Atlantic Ocean all the way to the Gulf of Guinea. As a rule, abyssal sea anemone species also have extensive ranges. Narrow localized ranges, however, are characteristic of ultra-abyssal anemone species that live at depths greater than 6000 m. Selected species from the genus Galatheanthemum, for example, apparently live in certain deep-sea depressions of the Pacific Ocean.
Although sea anemones are typical marine animals, many of them tolerate significant desalination of water. Several species of anemones are found in the Kiel Bay and Ostsee, four species have penetrated into the Black Sea. In the Azov and Baltic seas, sea anemones are no longer found. It is curious that even in the relict Lake Mogilny on the island of Kildin, a crushed form of Metridium dianthus, which is very common in the northern seas, was found living there.
Burrowing sea anemones, such as Edwardsia or Haloclava, bury themselves more or less vertically in silt or silted sand and, when active, only protrude the upper end of their body with a crown of a few tentacles from the burrow. They prefer not to leave their burrow, but if necessary they can crawl to a new place using wave-like contractions vermiform body. Having found suitable soil, the sea anemone stops moving and quickly fills its gastric cavity with water. She then releases some of the water and closes her mouth tightly. By this, she avoids the accidental loss of water remaining in the gastric cavity during instillation. When buried, the rear end of the body bends downward, towards the ground, and rhythmic waves of contractions of the annular muscles begin to run through the body. In this case, the water remaining in the cavity is constantly pumped from the anterior section to the posterior section and vice versa. With the help of peristaltic contractions, the body of the sea anemone is pushed deeper and deeper into the ground. After about an hour of hard work, the animal completely disappears into its new hole.
Most anemones have soles and lead a sessile lifestyle. But if necessary, they can also slowly move along the substrate. Usually forward motion sea anemone is carried out using a fleshy sole. Part of it is then separated from the substrate, moved forward in the direction of movement, and is fixed there again. After this, the other part of the sole is separated from the substrate and pulled up. In particular, this is how Actinia equina, a widespread and very common species in our northern seas, moves. In the aquarium, A. equina was observed moving from the walls of the aquarium to nearby stones. The edge of the sole, separated from the glass wall, was strongly stretched and tilted towards the stones. Then the anemone hung with its tentacles down between the wall of the aquarium and the stone, to which the edge of the sole was already attached. After some time, its other edge separated and was pulled towards the stone. On the oral disc of this sea anemone there are 192 tentacles arranged in 6 rows. These anemones, brightly colored red or green color, are very beautiful, especially when in full bloom with a crown of delicately colored, slightly transparent tentacles. In the northern seas the predominant color of these sea anemones is green, and in the southern seas it is red. A. equina, due to its amazing undemanding nature, is one of the favorite objects for observation in aquarium conditions. Interestingly, live sea anemones can even be sent by mail, wet or wrapped in wet seaweed.
Sea anemones of other species move along the ground in a different way. For example, Aiptasia carnea completely separates its sole from the substrate and falls on its side. In this position lying on the ground, this sea anemone begins to move with its rear end forward with the help of peristaltic rhythmic contractions of the body in exactly the same way as burrowing sea anemones move. A. carnea always chooses night time for its travels.
Small sea anemones, like Gonactinia prolifera, can even swim, rhythmically throwing their tentacles back.
Most shallow water anemones avoid daylight and crawl from illuminated areas. sun rays places in shaded rock crevices. If an anemone placed in an aquarium is suddenly illuminated with a bright light, it quickly contracts. Most shallow water anemones are therefore in a passive state during the day. They spread their tentacles at night or at dusk. However, littoral species of sea anemones are either indifferent to light, or even strive towards it, crawling to illuminated places or turning their oral disc towards the light. They are in a passive state at night.
Littoral species, which are indifferent to light, develop a different daily rhythm of life activity associated with tidal changes in water levels. A. equina, for example, spreads its tentacles with the tide and contracts at low tide. The daily rhythm of this sea anemone turns out to be so stable that after placing it in the aquarium it persists for several more days. Well-fed sea anemones can remain in a contracted state for a long time. On the contrary, hunger and low water temperature force sea anemones to remain in an active state for more than a day.
The nutrition of sea anemones has been studied relatively well. In some anemones, the main role in feeding is played by the grasping movements of the tentacles, in others - by the ciliated movement of ciliated cells scattered in the ectoderm. The former feed on various small living organisms, the latter on organic particles suspended in sea water. There are two main types of cilia movement. In primitive sea anemones, for example in Gonactinia, whose ciliated cells evenly cover the entire body, organic particles falling on the body are enveloped in mucus and are driven by the beating of the cilia from the bottom up, towards the oral disc, and then into the mouth. The beating of the cilia goes in the same direction on the tentacles. If the food bolus gets on the tentacle, then here too it is driven towards its upper end. The tentacle tilts towards the mouth, and the food is picked up by a stream directed towards the pharynx. Particles unsuitable for food are captured by the flow created by the cilia of the tentacles and, like food particles, move to the upper end of the tentacle. However, this tentacle no longer leans towards the mouth, but towards reverse side. From the end of the tentacle, these particles are washed away by the flow of water.
In more highly developed sea anemones, cilia are formed only on the oral disc and tentacles. In particular, we find such a ciliary apparatus in Metridium dianthus, or sea carnation, one of the most beautiful sea anemones found in our waters (color table 9). On its long columnar body, numerous, over a thousand, thread-like tentacles are located in separate groups. The color of M. dianthus is extremely varied - from pure white to dark red. The movement of cilia on the tentacles and oral disc of these sea anemones is always directed towards the apex of the tentacles. All particles that fall on the oral disc or tentacles therefore move in the same direction. The tentacle, after the food bolus reaches its apex, bends towards the mouth. Then the lump is picked up by the cilia lining the pharynx and moves into the gastric cavity. Particles unsuitable for food also move to the upper ends of the tentacles, from where they are washed off with water or discarded.
Sea anemones, which grab food with their tentacles, feed on various living organisms, as well as pieces of meat left after the meal of some other predator. Numerous experiments have been carried out to give a good idea of the mechanism of grasping the prey and transporting it to the gastric cavity. Usually, hungry sea anemones sit completely calm, with their tentacles widely spaced. But the slightest changes occurring in the water are enough for the tentacles to begin to produce oscillatory “searching” movements. When an anemone smells food, not only part or all of the tentacles are extended towards it, but often the entire body of the anemone bends towards the food. Having caught the victim, the tentacles of the sea anemone contract and bend towards the mouth. It is very interesting to note that the pulling of the tentacles towards the mouth often occurs as a reflex, even regardless of whether the victim is grabbed or not. If captured big catch, for example, a small fish, then all the tentacles of the predator are directed towards it, and they all take part in transporting the prey to the mouth. Small prey is introduced into the pharynx using a current of water caused by the beating of ciliated cells in the ectoderm of the pharynx, larger prey is introduced using peristaltic contractions of the pharyngeal tube. In sea anemones with short tentacles, the pharynx turns slightly outward and is pulled towards the food, which is held above the oral disc by the tentacles, which are unable to bend down to the mouth opening. This is how he eats, in particular, bighorn sea anemone- Urticina crassicornis, found from Mediterranean Sea to the North and Norwegian Seas. Numerous (up to 160) short and thick tentacles of this sea anemone surround its low and thick body. The coloration of U. crassicornis is extremely varied, and it is unlikely that two identically colored specimens of this sea anemone can be found at once.
U. crassicornis is also quite remarkable in that its mode of reproduction depends on climatic conditions: in warmer waters, this sea anemone spawns eggs, and in cold waters (for example, off the coast of Spitsbergen) it becomes viviparous.
Some sea anemones immediately sense the difference between food and unfit for food particles and never grab them. Others, especially in a state of hunger, grab any objects - stones, empty shells, filter paper, etc. After satiation, the previously indiscriminate anemones no longer introduce objects into their throats that are unsuitable for food. If you soak filter paper with meat extract, then at first the sea anemone readily grabs it. But over time, the sea anemone ceases to be too trusting. She will be able to fall for deception only after a certain period of time, when she feels hungry.
When this experiment is repeated several times, the sea anemone completely stops reacting to paper soaked in meat extract.
Species of sea anemones that feed on organic particles suspended in sea water have a poorly developed stinging apparatus of the tentacles. These sea anemones usually form long acontia, which perfectly protect them from attack. On the contrary, in predatory species of sea anemones, the stinging batteries of tentacles become very numerous. The volley of ejected stinging threads not only kills small organisms, but often causes severe burns in larger animals and even humans. Toilet sponge catchers are often severely burned by sea anemones. After a burn, the skin of the hands begins to turn red, itching and burning in the damaged area are accompanied by headache and chills. After some time, the sore spots on the skin die and deep ulcers form.
Many species of sea anemones are commensals of other animals or enter into peaceful symbiosis with them. These relationships of sea anemones to other animals have been discussed in detail previously.
Animal life: in 6 volumes. - M.: Enlightenment. Edited by professors N.A. Gladkov, A.V. Mikheev. 1970 .
Any person who has seen this amazing creature is primarily interested in: is sea anemone an animal or a plant? Many are misled by the definition of this creature - “sea anemone”: nevertheless, most people know that an anemone is a flower. The amazingly beautiful ones that have managed to adapt to life in the form of rather vulnerable organisms amaze the imagination: you just want to take them with you, protect and shelter them. Not worth it! First of all, it’s not for nothing that these creatures are sometimes called “jellyfish-anemones”: they are quite capable of standing up, and not only for themselves. And secondly, you are unlikely to be able to create suitable living conditions for them. So, while at the resort, just enjoy the view of them and try not to swim too close, so as not to treat the rather painful burns after.
Appearance
It is the appearance of these creatures that gives rise to the eternal question: is sea anemone an animal or a plant? And by the way, until the end of the 19th century they were classified as plant species. However, science does not stand still: it has been established that “sea anemones” are animals that, in their structure and lifestyle, are close to jellyfish and other coelenterates, to which many biologists include ctenophores.
If we explain it in a primitive way, then any sea anemone (photos are presented) is one continuous mouth on a stalk. The flower-like “petals” are the tentacles responsible for delivering food. Most often, the “stand” has a flat sole, with which the “sea anemones” are attached to a rock or hard bottom; but there are species with a pointed limb - they are stuck into the bottom like a bouquet; And there are floating varieties. Observing the behavior of these creatures, you will no longer be puzzled: is sea anemone an animal or a plant? It immediately becomes clear that she is not just an animal - she is a predator.
Sea anemones are not polyps
It would also be a mistake to say that this most beautiful creature is coral. The sea anemone is, without a doubt, very close to the polyps that form the islands that captivate everyone. However, they do not form a skeleton, and corals are the skeletons of polyps. At the same time, it cannot be said that sea anemone is “soft-bodied”, since the substance that fills the space between its cells forms a very thick layer and is similar in density to cartilage in vertebrates.
What do they eat?
Another argument in doubt is whether sea anemone is an animal or plant - its diet. If those interested remember, plants feed on water (with substances dissolved in it) and what they can get from the soil. However, sea anemones prefer a completely different menu. It includes small invertebrates and small fish(if you're lucky). The method of obtaining food is also completely non-vegetative: the tentacles paralyze the prey and pull it towards the mouth. Some may object: this is also known, but they cannot boast of a mouth and dissolve prey with enzymes located directly on the leaf plate or in a trap flower. That is, they do not have organs intended exclusively for digestion.
Impact on the victim
Even if we assume that sea anemone is a plant, then we must look for an explanation for its hunting method. In each stinging cell - albeit very, very small - there is a kind of capsule containing poison. And on the outside there is a stinging thread with spines facing backwards. Visually, under a microscope, this entire device resembles a miniature harpoon. When an anemone attacks, the thread straightens, the needle pierces the victim’s body and releases poison. Not a single plant has such a complex structure - they are much lower on the evolutionary ladder and have a much simpler structure.
By the way, the stinging venom of sea anemones is dangerous even for such a large organism as a person. TO fatal outcome it, of course, will not lead, but it will provide a burning sensation with itching, and in some cases, necrosis will develop. Almost all of those who regularly interact with gentle “anemones” have allergies.
Famous symbiosis
It must be said that most sea flowers lead a sedentary lifestyle. However, updating the hunting grounds is what any sea anemone needs. Movement is usually accomplished through symbionts. The most famous of them (familiar thanks to the touching Soviet cartoon) is the hermit crab. The most interesting thing is that this shellfish itself transfers to its “shell” a creature that is deadly for mollusks. For quite a long time they coexist peacefully: the crayfish carries the sea flower from place to place, the sea anemone repels the attacks made against it natural enemies. However, everything is not so rosy: the “leg” of the sea “flower” easily dissolves the organic matter that makes up the host’s shell, after which the cancer comes to an end.
Moving sea anemones
Even those sea anemones that are designed by nature to “sit” in place can move. In the end, the small inhabitants of the oceans, as people say, are “no dumber than a steam locomotive” and over time they realize the danger of some bottom area. Accordingly, ocean flowers are forced to migrate as their hunting grounds become scarce. What does the average sea anemone do in this case? She moves slowly but surely. The sole is separated from the bottom, extended a short distance, secured and tightens the rest of the body. However, small species (like gonactinia) can even swim, straightening their tentacles back.
Fish-anemone cooperation
It must be said that ocean anemones symbiote not only with hermit crabs. They also travel on other armored animals (however, for carriers this usually ends the same way, even in the case of small varieties). However, sea anemones can coexist quite peacefully with fish. Off the Australian coast, the largest sea anemones on earth (their “mouth” is often not limited to one and a half meters in diameter) give shelter among their tentacles to amphiprions - very bright fish that feed the “host” with fallen food debris, and with the work of their fins they create additional aeration for it. At the same time, anemones are quite capable of distinguishing their friends from other fish and actively protect them from predatory attacks.
Reproduction of sea anemones
They give preference to the sexual method, which is another proof that sea flowers are animals, not plants. However, under unfavorable conditions, they can use budding, in which you begin to remember the misconception about “anemone is a plant,” and longitudinal or transverse division. This is especially true for small varieties. The same gonactinia tends to split across. It is extremely interesting to observe: first of all, a wreath of tentacles grows around the circumference of the body, and then it divides. The upper half grows a sole, the lower half grows a “mouth” and another set of goads. It is noteworthy that the second division does not wait until the end of the first, so that the sea anemone of this species can be surrounded by several rings of tentacles, foreshadowing the imminent appearance of several individuals.
You can check whether an anemone is an animal or a plant by your own example. Sea anemones do not regard humans as either an enemy or prey. So, when touched by a person, they simply curl up (if you don’t fiddle with them, of course). You could say they are hiding. Otherwise, the sea anemone (the photos demonstrate this) is a very beautiful and interesting creature, which is interesting even just to watch.
Before buying an anemone, as well as other sea creatures, you need to make sure that you have a good idea of how to properly maintain them. Their demands may surprise you. Below I will give some recommendations based on my own experience.
Water quality
IN general outline we can say that to support anemones, the same water parameters are required that are required for SPS corals (small polyp stony corals). Specifically: high dissolved oxygen, SG 1.024 to 1.026, stable pH 8.1 to 8.3, temperature 76 to 78 F, calcium 400 to 450, dKH 8.0 to 12.0, magnesium 1250 and 1350 ppm, nitrate levels of 2 ppm or less (the closer to zero, the better), a stable phosphate level of about 0.002 ppm or less (closer to zero is better), and finally, zero ammonia and nitrite levels. The key to the healthy and prosperous existence of sea anemones, as well as all representatives underwater world living in captivity is to maintain stable water parameters in the aquarium at or close to a given level.
Aquarium conditions/parameters
A) Maturity of the aquarium. When keeping sea anemones, this aspect is most important for beginners rather than seasoned veterans (to be clear, I do not consider myself one of the latter). The bottom line is that aquariums younger than 6 months can be subject to fluctuations in water parameters, and not all sea anemones can withstand such changes.B) Flow and circulation of water. Sea anemone requires the presence of at least a small current. They breathe by absorbing oxygen directly from the water. In their natural habitat, sea anemones also need a current that brings food and carries away waste. Essentially, sea anemones require medium to low currents. One of the most common causes of sea anemones feeling unwell is an abnormal flow. As a result, they begin to move around the aquarium in order to find the most favorable place. Different sea anemones have different attitudes towards the flow and circulation of water in the aquarium.
B) Lighting requirements. To thrive, sea anemones require the same good lighting as SPS corals (small polyp stony corals). Through photosynthesis, sea anemones obtain a large amount of necessary nutrients. The tissues of sea anemones contain zooxatenella algae, which allow them to use light. Conventional wisdom has it that metal halide or T5 HO lamps are best suited for keeping sea anemones. High quality LEDs also provide the good lighting that sea anemones need. When I kept bubble anemones and carpet anemones, I used T5HO bulbs and high quality LEDs with great success. As a general rule, if your lighting is a little less than ideal, you can always compensate by feeding regularly.
There are many different opinions about what optimal lighting should be. I have developed my own rule: 4 watts per gallon of water (14,000K bulb). This lighting will be optimal for aquariums with a height of about 20 centimeters. Once again, this rule is based on personal positive experience of keeping sea anemones.
D) Oxygen level. For sea anemones, as well as for other representatives of the underwater world, the most favorable is a high level of oxygen. Achieving optimal oxygen levels is not difficult, especially if you ensure good water circulation in the aquarium and use a flotator.
Feeding sea anemones
There are several opinions about feeding sea anemones. Some do not feed them at all, and the sea anemones remain healthy and grow in the aquarium for many years, provided there is sufficient lighting. Personally, I fed the sea anemones two to three times a month, which contributed to their rapid growth and healthy existence. If you want to speed up the growth of sea anemones, you can feed them even 3 times a week. I fed my anemones every week, as a result of which they grew quickly, multiplied and looked quite happy with life.
Animal foods high in protein, such as clams, scallops, shrimp, mussels and shrimp larvae, are ideal for sea anemones. There are other types of sea anemone food, but I have not tried them.
Before feeding your sea anemone, make sure the food is crushed enough for him to swallow it easily. Place the food as close to the sea anemone as possible (I use long tweezers for this). As soon as food comes into contact with the sea anemone, it should react immediately. It may take up to 2-3 minutes for the sea anemone to pick up the food and swallow it. If the sea anemone is stressed, it may take longer. And be sure to keep an eye on other animals and fish in the aquarium, as they will usually try to take food from the sea anemone while it is trying to eat it.
Clown fish
Do anemones need clownfish?... The answer is no. Sea anemones can do just fine without them. However, such an alliance is mutually beneficial and has a number of advantages for both parties: clown fish protect the sea anemone from other fish and even from some animals inhabiting the aquarium, in addition, clowns leave uneaten food on the sea anemone (that is, they actually feed it), and, finally, Clownfish hide in sea anemones to protect themselves from other fish. At the same time, both sea anemones and clown fish can exist perfectly well and remain healthy and happy separately from each other.
If you are considering purchasing a pair of clownfish for your anemone, make sure that you choose the right species and that they will actually live in union with your anemone, since usually certain types of clownfish live in certain types of anemones.
On the other hand, sea anemones can become dangerous for other inhabitants of the aquarium, because they are not particularly picky about food. Representatives of some species catch and eat almost all slow-moving small fish or paralyze those who swim too close to their tentacles. My carpet anemone ate a large number of snails (and then spat out the shell), a dwarf wrasse (orange-backwrasse species), and all the cleaner shrimp, while the bubble anemone left none of them.
.Movement of sea anemones
The movement of sea anemones around the aquarium may indicate a change in water quality or other conditions, which negatively affects their existence. If your sea anemone begins to move around without you changing the lighting or current, the problem may be due to changes in water parameters. Some sea anemones are more prone to movement than others. For example, I had a bubble anemone that split, and one of the separated parts began to move around until it found a suitable place away from the rest of the anemones. At the same time, my carpet anemones have remained in one place for several years.
Adding sea anemones to the aquarium
If, after studying all the requirements and recommendations, you decide to purchase an anemone and place it in your aquarium, I suggest following these steps:A) First of all, as soon as you lower the sea anemone into the aquarium, turn off the flow for 24 hours. This will help him get used to his new home.
B) First, it is necessary to ensure the “maturity” of the aquarium environment and make sure that the water parameters correspond to the required level and remain stable.
C) Then you need to choose a suitable place in the aquarium. Some sea anemones prefer to attach themselves to rocks with their feet, while others like to stick to the bottom of the aquarium. Some sea anemones attach to a substrate that can be placed in the aquarium (3 to 6 inches). Therefore, you should first consider all possible options and choose best place for your sea anemone. In addition, you need to think about lighting and water circulation.
D) Now you are ready to buy sea anemone. It is important to choose a healthy individual, so in the store pay attention to the color of the sea anemone (the color should not be pale) and the mouth (it should be closed).
E) After purchasing, you must carefully bring the sea anemone home and help it adapt to new living conditions.
E) In addition to acclimatizing the sea anemone to water parameters, you should pay attention to adaptation to aquarium lighting. One of the best ways is to use a translucent plastic screen for shading. Place three of these screens at the top of the aquarium and remove one about every 3 days. This will allow the sea anemone to gradually get used to the new lighting.
G) From several days to a week, the sea anemone will be in a stressful state until it gets used to the new living conditions. For a day or two, the sea anemone may hide in the rocks or keep its mouth wide open. A similar reaction can be repeated several times.
H) Until your sea anemone settles into its new home, it is better to turn off the flow at night. From my own experience, I can say that sea anemones begin to move after you turn off the lights. And when moving, they can easily penetrate the pump.
If you notice one or more of the following signs within a week of placing your sea anemone in your aquarium: stress state, or noticed them after a long stay of the sea anemone in the aquarium, this indicates difficulties with adaptation or the unfavorable state of your sea anemone.
A) Sea anemone secretes a lot of viscous liquid Brown. This may indicate that the water conditions are not suitable for your sea anemone, causing it to lose zooxatenelles. This can be a serious problem.
B) The sea anemone shrinks or swells too much. This usually happens when the sea anemone cleans itself of waste by changing the water inside. However, if this happens constantly (say, every day or more often), or the sea anemone remains compressed for a long time, this is a sure sign of a stressful condition.
C) The sea anemone's mouth is open even when it is not eating or excreting waste.
D) The sea anemone moves in the stones and disappears from view (this is the norm for stone sea anemones).
D) The sea anemone has turned pale or almost colorless; this effect is also called “bleaching.” In general, this is another symptom of the loss of zooxatenelles or the result of insufficient preparation of the sea anemone for the new aquarium lighting.
E) The sea anemone's mouth remains open or widened even when the sea anemone is not eating. In extreme cases of stress, the mouth will appear everted.
G) The sea anemone does not become fixed in any place in your aquarium.
Sea anemone bleaching
If, during a long stay in the aquarium, your sea anemone suddenly became discolored (or lost most its color), this indicates problems with lighting or water quality. The following are the most common causes of sea anemone bleaching.
A) Too much lighting
B) Insufficient lighting
B) Nutrient levels in water are too high
D) Nutrient levels in water are too low
Below I have provided recommendations based on my own experience for keeping carpet and bladder anemones. Today there are many other species of sea anemones suitable for keeping in an aquarium, but personal experience I haven't encountered them.
Blister sea anemones
Currently, this species is one of the most common in the aquarium hobby. From my own experience I can say that bubble anemones are one of the most unpretentious and probably the hardiest species for aquarium keeping. Typically, bubble anemones choose cracks in rocks to anchor themselves and protect their legs. The most favorable conditions for them are moderate water flows and average light levels.
Red and green bubble anemones are the most common, but blue and orange anemones can also be found. They are easy to distinguish due to their very long tentacles (1-2 inches in length) with bubbles at the ends. The size and shape of the bubbles, depending on the type of sea anemone, can vary from very large to almost invisible. Bubble anemones can grow up to one meter in diameter, so I suggest using a tank that is at least 30 gallons in size.
Typically, bubble anemones penetrate with their legs into a rock crevice, where they later become attached. They prefer moderate water flows and average lighting levels. Bubble sea anemones are the most active in the aquarium. Any change, even a minor one that is difficult to detect, can set these sea anemones in motion.
Ideal conditions for keeping bubble anemones promote rapid reproduction, which occurs in two ways - sexual (spawning) and asexual (division). In just one year, living in my aquarium, the bubble anemone turned into five full-fledged anemones. This happens as follows: when the sea anemone reaches maximum size, it divides and one part begins to move around the aquarium until it finds a suitable place.
If you are interested in adding clownfish to your aquarium, check out the list below for species that prefer to live in bubble anemones. I found this list in a marine aquarium magazine.
Amphiprion clarkii
Amphiprion ocellaris
Amphiprion akindynos(reef clown)
Amphiprion bicinctus(two striped clown)
(orange-finned clown)
Amphiprion ephippium(fire clown)
Amphiprion frenatus(tomato clown)
Amphiprion latezonatus(broad-swept clown)
Amphiprion mccullochi(McCulloch's clown)
Amphiprion melanopus(black clown)
Amphiprion rubrocinctus(Australian clown)
Amphiprion tricinctus(three striped clown)
The photo below is of my bubble anemone three weeks after dividing. After I took the photo, after one or two weeks, the left sea anemone began to move around the aquarium.
Carpet sea anemones
This type of sea anemone is one of the most difficult to keep in an aquarium. The most common carpet anemones are Stichodactyla gigantea And Stichodactyla haddoni. They are very similar in appearance, so it is quite difficult to distinguish them from each other. However, due to the slight differences in the needs of these sea anemones, which can affect their further development, it is worth learning to distinguish between them.
Carpet sea anemones Stichodactyla gigantea
These sea anemones are the most difficult to care for. I've spent a lot of time studying these sea anemones, so I can say with certainty what the difference is between gigantea And haddoni. In diameter gigantea (Stichodactyla gigantea) reaches over 1.5 meters, and often weighs about 2 pounds when kept in ideal conditions. In their natural habitat, the diameter of these sea anemones can reach three meters. Their tentacles are the longest among carpet anemones, but much shorter than those of bubble anemones. The tentacles reach ¼ to ¾ inches in length. In appearance, these sea anemones look like a shaggy carpet from the 60s. As a rule, they are brown or sandy in color, with green, blue, yellow, purple and pink anemones being less common. The rarest colors are red and dark blue. There are no known cases of reproduction in the home aquarium.
For content S. gigantea Many people recommend using a species aquarium that is at least 40 gallons, but I would suggest an aquarium that is at least 75 gallons. In addition, it is necessary to ensure moderate (or slightly more than average) water circulation in the aquarium. I saw such an anemone located right in the flow of the return pump. Sea anemones S. gigantea are the most demanding in terms of lighting conditions, therefore, compared to others, they need more light. They like to bury their foot 3-6 inches into the substrate and attach themselves to the bottom of the tank. Thus, when they feel threatened, they are completely drawn into the substrate.
You can see sea anemones in this photo S. gigantea rare colors.
I took this photo at a local aquarium store.
Below is my blue carpet anemone.
Carpet sea anemones Stichodactyla haddoni
Sea anemones haddoni (Stichodactyla haddoni) can reach the same large size as giant sea anemones, about 2 meters in diameter. Although they are difficult to keep, these difficulties cannot be compared with the difficulties that arise when keeping giant sea anemones. S. haddoni have very short tentacles that look more like colored cones. They kind of remind me of commercial carpeting. Their tentacles are about half the length of those of giant sea anemones. As a rule, they are brown or sandy in color, less common colors are green, blue and purple, the most rare are red and pink.
S. haddoni increase in size very quickly. My sea anemone went from 4 inches to 12 inches in 18 months. Many people recommend using at least a 40 gallon aquarium for your initial setup, but I recommend at least 75 gallons. They are usually placed in the sand, with their foot buried 3-6 inches into the substrate, and attached to the bottom of the aquarium. As soon as they sense danger, they are completely drawn into the substrate. Although haddoni and gigantea have the same lighting requirements, haddoni prefer less water circulation than gigantea (below average level).
Sea anemones S. haddoni They are quite aggressive with their victims: as soon as they get too close to their tentacles, haddoni immediately grabs and eats them. Their highly sticky tentacles make them quite difficult to deal with. My sea anemone ate a large number of snails (and then spat out the shells), shrimp and a few fish.
Clown fish generally prefer to settle in carpet anemones. [ Note ed.: Dubious statement] If you are interested in adding clownfish to your aquarium, check out the following list to help you determine which type of clownfish is most suitable for carpet anemones.
Amphiprion ocellaris(anemone clown (all types of colors))
Amphiprion akindynos(reef clown)
Amphiprion chrysogaster(Muritisn clown)
Amphiprion chrysopterus(orange-finned clown)
Amphiprion clarkii(Clark's clown)
Amphiprion polymnus(saddle clown)
Amphiprion sebae(Seba the clown)
Amphiprion chrysopterus Blueline(orange-finned clown)
Amphiprion ephippium(fire clown)
Amphiprion frenatus(tomato clown)
Below is my red carpet anemone haddoni. This photo was taken immediately after being placed in the aquarium, which was then about 4 inches in size. In the following photos you can see the normal sized haddoni - about 14 inches.
Sea anemones are unusual in beauty and quite mysterious in their way of life. But where do sea anemones live? What are their appearance? Now we'll find out...
Scientists have long argued about what type of animal these creatures belong to, because they have something in common with both corals and jellyfish, and in appearance sea anemones generally look like underwater plants.
The modern classification classifies coral polyps specifically; moreover, these living organisms are among the most major representatives corals
Another name for sea anemones is sea anemones; the animals received this name precisely because of their resemblance to flowers.
The structure of the sea anemone is a body consisting of a corolla of tentacles and a cylindrical leg. At the base of the leg there are muscles (longitudinal and circular). The end of the leg may have a so-called sole.
Anemones are bottom-dwelling plants, so they need to gain a foothold on the surface of the ground; they do this with the help of various devices.
Some representatives of this type of coral secrete a special mucus, which tends to harden over time and thus firmly anchors the animal’s body to the substrate. Other sea anemones have such a large and strong leg that they are able to bury it in the ground and in this way securely attach themselves to the underwater soil.
But among sea anemones there are also exceptions that do not live on the bottom of the sea, but freely float in the water column. They are also called floats. In the sole of such species there is a special bubble that prevents the animal from sinking to the bottom and constantly maintains it in a floating state.
Top part The legs of the sea anemone have a mouth opening, represented by a disk surrounded by many tentacles, which are arranged in rows.
These same tentacles are equipped with stinging cells that can shoot a thin thread containing a poisonous secretion. If you look at the sea anemone's body, you will notice pronounced radial symmetry.
As for the various sensory organs inherent in most living organisms, sea anemones in this sense can be called one of the most primitive.
The nervous system of these animals consists of sensory cells located at the base of the tentacles, around the oral disc, and also on the sole.
The main distinguishing feature of these sea creatures is undoubtedly their color. It is not for nothing that they are called sea flowers, because their colors contain the brightest tones: pink, orange, red, white, brown, green, yellow and others. In some species, you can find a whole rainbow palette on the body, since the body has one color, and the tentacles are painted in a contrasting shade.
The size of sea anemones is also surprising: the smallest representatives of this group of animals can have a millimeter height, and there are also giants whose “height” reaches one meter.
The smallest sea anemone discovered by scientists is considered to be the Gonactinia prolifera sea anemone; its height is only 2 millimeters.
These animals are widespread in all oceans and seas; the greatest species diversity is manifested in tropical and subtropical zones. Sea anemones have acclimatized even in the icy waters of the Arctic Ocean.
According to their feeding method, sea anemones are predators. Some species swallow everything into themselves (both stones and paper), others, after accidentally swallowing an extra object, spit out the unnecessary.
