Painted Anemone

Authors:  Michael Adams and Daniel Barnaby

Scientific Name:  Urticina grebelnyi

Identifying Features:  Urticina grebelnyi is a large anemone that can be up to 30cm (12inches) tall and and 20cm (8 inches) wide.  They vary widely in colour and often have green to light yellow patches covered in red blood-like markings. They have many tentacles that are banded red. One of the key ways to identify this species is by the aised bumps, referred to as non-adhesive vesicles, on it’s pedal column. Unlike the similar looking species Urticina crassicornis, that U.grebelnyi is often mistaken for, the column of U. crassicornis is smooth while that of U. gregelnyi has these raised bumps.

Prey:  Almost all anemones are carnivorous and using their tentacles loaded with nematocysts they paralyze and consume any bypassing prey. U. grebelnyi in particular eats shrimp, krill, mussels, and fish.

Predators:  The Painted Anemone’s natural predators are various species of nudibranches, sea stars, and snails. However it’s not completely defenseless. The tentacles that it uses for catching prey can also be used in self-defense against it’s enemies.