Sea Anemones

When one colony of sea anemones encroaches on the territory of another, the anemones engage in a battle, using their nematocysts against one another. According to research, most anemones are capable of living a century or more. There are over 1000 species of sea anemones worldwide found in both shallow and deep waters. Of the over 1000 species of sea anemones, only about ten live with clownfish in symbiotic relationships. Sea anemones live in all oceans in all areas with a depth of less than 10,000 meters.

Adaptations of Anemones

Sea anemones have radial symmetry, a center which stinging tentacles radiate from. Anemones are usually one to four inches in length, but can grow to be six feet across. The soft body of an anemone is cylindrical and may be thick and short or big and slender. The spreading base is attached to a hard surface such as a rock, wharf timber, a seashell, or the back of a crab. Anemones can attach themselves to rocks and other surfaces to keep themselves out of the sun. Sea anemones have no central brain; instead they have a simple network of nerves in their body wall which communicate between different parts of their bodies. Sea anemones have muscles in their basal disk at the bottom of the anemone that allow it to move slowly so it can relocate. When the tide retreats, anemones close up their soft bodies, folding their tentacles inside to preserve moisture.

Diet of the Sea Anemone

Sea anemones are carnivores that eat fish, mussels, zooplankton and worms. Sea Anemones are equipped with tiny poisonous harpoons and digestive enzymes so strong they can digest the flesh of a small animal in less than 15 minutes. The anemones mouth opening, at the upper end of the body, is surrounded by several small tentacles that stun food then push it into the mouth opening. Anemones often lie half buried in the sand, waiting to prey on organisms, which is sometimes how they get their food.

Relationships with other organisms

The sea anemone has a symbiotic relationship with the hermit crab because the hermit crabs attach themselves to the shell of the hermit crab. This benefits the crab by fending off attackers and sea anemone is benefited by the fact that it gets the little left over particles of food from the crab's meals. Also the sea anemone forms a symbiotic relationship with clownfish because the clownfish gets protection from predators because it hides in the tentacles of the anemone. The clownfish also benefits because it gets the left over scraps of food from the anemones meals.

Reproduction

Sea anemones reproduce by releasing eggs into their gullet, which find their way out through the mouth of the anemone. The released eggs then attach to a hard surface and develop there into a typical sea anemone. Sea anemones also reproduce by forming small buds on their sides which grow into regular Sea Anemones.