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[Sebae Anemone Phylum: Cnidaria] [Class: Hexacorallia] [Order: Actiniaria] [Family: Stichodactylidae]
It has a leathery appearance. But, the long flowing white or light tan tentacles of the sebae anemone (Heteractis crispa) usually have purple or blue tips.
This segment contains fun and interesting facts about the leathery sea anemone, including where they live, what they eat, and how they reproduce.
Heteractis crispa thrive best in the shallow intertidal zones (foreshores) of the tropical Indo-Pacific Ocean (especially Indonesia dive sites).
Its geographical range extends to the Red Sea, the east coast of Africa, Japan, Australia, and Polynesia. Common names for sebae anemones include:
By and large, most types of sea anemones live on structures with a hard base surrounded by clean sand. Even so, some can exist by clinging to branching corals (e.g. acropora staghorn) down to depths of forty (40) metres below the surface.
It is fair to say the large flared oral disc that can grow to fifty (50) centimetres in diameter, and fifteen centimetre long flowing tentacles, are two noteworthy features of the leather sea anemone.
But, when these invertebrate animals open their light grey or whitish column, you should see a purple or blue spot on the rounded tips of each beige coloured tentacle.
The leathery sea anemone (H. crispa) is one of 4,300 different species of Hexacorallia in a class called "Anthozoa" with multiples of six tentacles characterised in concentric circles.
Here's the thing:
Some sebae anemone species have an association with the threespot dascyllus (Dascyllus trimaculatus). Plus, in their natural habitat, leathery sea anemones can host up to fourteen different species of clownfish, especially:
Fun Fact: It's quite common for fish keeping enthusiasts to try and acclimate colourful sea anemones as part of an aquarium setup. If so, they will thrive better in a combination of sand and rock substrate with strong lighting.
When they're not using the stinging cells (cnidocytes) to ensnare prey, most sea anemone species can retract their tentacles back inside the body cavity.
For the most part, nourishment comes from various kinds of symbiotic relationships with other organisms, especially:
In fact, sea anemones can reproduce sexually, by casting sperm and eggs into the water column, and by asexual reproduction (e.g. the regeneration of new polyps).
After fertilisation, the eggs drift with plankton until they have developed into free-swimming larvae. At this point, they will find a suitable place on the seabed to settle and grow into juvenile polyps.
Fun Fact: Another section explains the physiological and physical characteristics of sea anemone anatomy, such as the digestive system, the structure of the nervous system, and the typical life cycle.
Our fish aquarium beginners guide explains why some hobbyists are using sea anemones in reef aquariums. As a consequence of that, some sea anemone populations are decreasing in certain regions around the world.
So, what eats sea anemones in the wild? In fact, their common enemies include a range of fish families (especially pufferfish), sea snails, sea stars, and sea turtles.
Important: The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species is a comprehensive source of information about the global conservation status of animals, fungi, and plants. Currently, the IUCN lists most sea anemones species as Least Concern (LC).
Note: The short video [2:21 seconds] presented by "Deep Marine Scenes" contains more sea anemone facts and explains why Actiniaria is an ideal home for the clownfish.