Sea Anemone

Sea anemones are a group of aquatic mollusks, the animals of the order of Actiniaria. They are in the phylum Cnidaria, because they are cnidarians, sea anemones are closely related to corals, jellyfish, and Hydra.

Sea Anemones are polyps attached to the seabed and rocks. Most of them are 1.8-3 centimeters (0.71-1.2 inches), but there are very small ones that are as small as 4 millimeters (0.16 inches) and very large ones as big as 2 meters (6.6 feet)! They can have tens and hundreds of tentacles. A few species are not attached to the seabed or rocks and instead have a gas chamber inside the pedal disc that allows them to be afloat. The mouth is the part of the body that is surrounded by the tentacles. The cnidae that stings the aggressor or prey are called nematocysts, each nematocysts has a small vesicle that is filled with toxins. Toxins are an inner filament, and an external sensory hair. When anything touches it, it triggers the cell explosion, a harpoon-like structure sticks onto the organism that was attacking it or the prey and triggers poison into it. That’s what gives the sea anemone a sticky texture. The sea anemone’s food chain includes small fish and shrimp.

You may find these in little tide pools and if you stick your finger in it you will feel a little sting.