Sea anemones are a group of water-dwelling, predatory animals that are named after the anemone, a terrestrial flower. Sea anemones are related to corals, jellyfish, tube-dwelling anemones, and Hydra.
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The sea anemone has an oral disk, which the organism uses to capture prey. The anemone attaches to the substrate using the basal disk at its posterior end.
Although not plants and therefore incapable of photosynthesis themselves, many sea anemones form an important facultative symbiotic relationship with certain single-celled green algae species which reside in the animals' gastrodermal cells. These algae may be either zooxanthellae, zoochlorellae or both. The sea anemone benefits from the products of the algae's photosynthesis, namely oxygen and food in the form of glycerol, glucose and alanine; the algae in turn are assured a reliable exposure to sunlight.
ANEMONES
(Isocradactis magna) A large anemone with a large round disk that comes in a wide colour variation from white to bright pink Can be found around northern New Zealand to 30m depth. They are able capture and digest large prey, such as complete shells or whole crabs A mature tank of 100 litres or more with a good flow rate They can be fed prawns fish etc but can also survive under good lighting as as they can live from symbiotic algae inside their skins, that convert sunlight to food.
(Corynactis haddoni) The jewel anemone is named for its brilliant range of colouration, from bright red to white. The body is smooth, and squat. The mouth has 3rings of up to 100 tentacles each ending in a small bulb; this anemone grows up to 2cm in size. Found around New Zealand in shaded spots on exposed coasts. They extend their tentacles and feed on drifting food particles such as planktons etc. Can be fed Brine shrimp naupli or mashed mussel meat as alternatives.
or Waratah anemone, Actinia tenebrosa This anemone when closed shows only its dark brown-red outer surface, when open it shows a lighter red colour. It grows up to 4cm in size and is possibly the most common species of sea anemone found around the coast of New Zealand. This species releases well-developed young anemones through the mouth, which often attach themselves to rocks in close proximity to the parent. Can be fed bits of prawn or fish.