Anemones or actiniarias ( actiniaria ) are invertebrate marine animals that remain most of their life attached to the substrate. They can be at the bottom of the sea, on rocks and even in the shells of some crustaceans and mollusks. In addition, they eat a carnivorous diet and, since they cannot move, they only feed when an animal passes close enough to them.
There are 1,200 different species of sea anemones, and they can reach up to two meters in height. Some of the most popular species are found within the genera Heteractis (with huge tentacles) or Stichodactyla mertenssii , which have the appearance of a towel or carpet.
On the other hand, anemones are attached to the sea floor through one foot, while their body has a cylindrical shape. The mouth is in the center, where it manages to carry the food thanks to its colorful tentacles. These are activated when they notice the presence of a prey. In fact, when an animal lightly brushes the tentacles, they rush for it and introduce a paralyzing poison.
Where do anemones live?
Anemones inhabit all the world’s oceans, with different temperatures and depths. However, they are mainly found in tropical coastal waters or in areas with lots of green algae. Due to their deadly venom, there are not many marine animals that feed on anemones.
In addition, these animals establish symbiosis (that is, they maintain a strong bond) with other marine organisms and species. For example, they protect some algae from sunlight and clownfish, as they have a layer of mucus around their body that protects them from the venom of anemones. Therefore, most clownfish tend to live, take refuge and reproduce surrounded by anemones.
How do they reproduce?
Some anemones are hermaphrodites, while others have separate sexes and reproduce sexually or asexually. When reproduction is asexual, a very complex process called lateral fusion occurs. Thus, the anemone carries out its asexual reproduction by incubating an exact copy of itself, which it subsequently expels into the sea through a lateral opening.
In contrast, when reproduction is sexual, anemones shed sperm and eggs in the sea, and become fertilized when they come into contact with each other. For this reason, only a small number of zygotes survive to maturity.
