sea anemone
a kind of sea animal – related to the corals, jelly fish, hydra – no back-bone or external or internal skeleton – soft, muscular, cylindrical-shaped stalk, (like a short column or short pillar) in several colours, with a disc-like foot at the base, and a single mouth and anus opening at the top surrounded by hollow finger-like organs called ‘tentacles’ with venom (= poison); size: (varies widely – the smallest being the size of a thimble to the largest being the size of a pumpkin) from ½ inch to 6 feet in diameter, and 3-6 inch tall, and weight: —; feeds on small fish, crabs, lobsters, crayfish, shrimps, krill, depending on the size and the species; lives for 50 years (some individuals live for 70 years); about 1000 species found in the sea waters of the world, mostly in tropical waters
Special Features:
The sea anemones are named after the colourful flowers called ‘anemones’!
The sea anemone has only one opening for taking in food (mouth) and for sending out waste matter (anus)!
sea anemone tentacles
The sea anemone has tentacles, finger-like organs, round the top of the cylinder-shaped body with which the sea anemone hunts its food. Each tentacle has a venomous (= poisonous) sting with which the sea anemone paralyses or stuns the prey and brings it to the mouth opening!
A sea anemone may have 10 to 100 tentacles, depending on its size and species!
Though a typical sea anemone has a column or cylindrical shape, there are sea anemones with different shapes!
When attacked, a sea anemone draws all the tentacles inwards and closes up like a draw-string pouch!!
anemone & clown fish
The sea anemone is a good example of mutual cooperation between two different species of animals, called ‘symbiosis’: though the sting of a sea anemone is venomous, some animals, such as the ‘clown fish’ and some kinds of ‘crabs’, live among the tentacles. The fish gets protection from its predators because most animals fear the sting of the sea anemone, and in return, the fish cleans the parasites on the sea anemone, and provides the sea anemone with scraps of food it eats!!
Most of the time sea anemones stay put in one place attaching themselves with the help of their disc-like foot at the base of their cylindrical body; however, they can move either by sliding slowly or by free-floating or even by ‘swimming’ – with the help of their tentacles. Some species of sea anemone are known to somersault to move from place to place!
The sea anemone can reproduce sexually – male releasing sperm and female releasing eggs, or asexually – by dividing into two parts and each part growing into a full sea anemone, or even by budding – small bud-like growth on it separates itself from the parent and grows into an independent one, like in some plants!
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About the Author:BC Kumar
BC Kumar, an English Language Teacher, taught in numerous countries including Ethiopia, Oman and India, shares his knowledge and passion for the English Language. Disclaimer: This is a free educational website and all content has been compiled by the author. All copyrights to images and videos belong to their respective owners.
