Some more anemones
As well as the more obvious anemone species you will find some hidden, tucked etc regularly, as well. These can be more difficult to identify or even find in some instances. This introduction will help you keep an eye out for them.
One is an introduction to a group of species, but which is a grouping which is being commonly found in certain habitats. Two have already been introduced in Level 1, as those species which could be confused with the more commonly seen species and one is a gem of an anemone!!
The species in focus are:
dahlia anemone/anemoni pen-dahlia (Urticina felina)
gem anemone/anemoni dafadennog (Aulactinia verrucosa)
strawberry anemone (Actinia fragacea)
Sagartia sp.
You will see what they look like in different situations and learn of their ecology to help with ID.
You will then be tested.
Some more anemones
dahlia anemone/anemone pen dahlia (Urticina felina)
©Reece Halstead
- a large anemone, which likes to sit in sediment, often
- chunky-looking tentacles which are usually banded in colour
- the column can often have sand grains attached
- can often be hidden with its tentacles tucked in, sitting low in sand and covered in sand grains.
gem anemone/anemoni dafadennog (Aulactinia verrucosa)
©North Wales Wildlife Trust
- has pale green-yellow tinged tentacles with white blotches along the entirety,
- the column is a pale pink colour with warts on and looks ridged
- commonly seen near pink encrusting algae in shallow rock pools
- can be seen in groups
- can tuck in its tentacles and look very much like the pink encrusting algae on which it’s attached.
strawberry anemone (Actinia fragacea)
©North Wales Wildlife Trust
- can grow in shallow pools and sediment, often tucked at the side of rocks
- is rich red in overall colour, including the tentacles with large green spots on the column, which do not lie in lines and are quite large
- this anemone is quite large as an intertidal anemone and can look like it can’t hold up its own weight or has too much extra skin, somehow
- not a common anemone.
Sagartia species
©Dan Lear
- these are anemones which can be very much overlooked as they lay attached to the under side of rocks or sit mostly buries in sediment
- they have several rings of slim, long tentacles which look quite pointed at the ends and encircle a relative wide mouth area
- they can be many different colour forms and some can be patterned
- the columns can be covered in suckers (not adhesive), but can often be hidden from view
- confusion with other non Sagartia-type anemones will be helped.
As previously mentioned, the dahlia and strawberry anemones can both be confused with the much more common beadlet anemone (see Level 1 topic on anemones for a recap). The Sagartia anemones can be confused with each other and they are dealt with in their introduction here. The gem anemones are less likely to be confused, but can be missed entirely, so keep an eye out for tentacles and look closely at pink encrusting algae.
Alternative factoids
More anemone facts, surely not. Oh yes, there’ still plenty more to know about these relatives of the jellies.
Some anemones can breed in a variety of ways both asexually and sexually. Some can “bud” individuals from their base, produce and give birth through their mouths, and some can clone themselves by splitting themselves in two (keep an eye out as you might see one in the process of doing so on shore)
Some anemones can exhibit biofluorescence (glowing green under U.V light)
Anemones might look like they’re stuck to one spot, but they are mobile. Some (ie. the Beadlet anemone would like to keep to a preferred spot, however)
The Plumose anemone (Metridium dianthus) is the UK’s tallest at up to 30cm.
The next section is the quiz. Click to begin the quiz, the questions will appear below. If you get any one question wrong within each quiz page, the you will be marked as wrong for the whole page. Answers will appear one you’ve finished each question.
You will be tested on what you’ve learnt so far using the reading and video info. Don’t worry too much, as once you’ve been out on the shore, the ID features you’ve learnt about will make more sense and after a couple of visits you should feel more confident about your ID.
Good luck!