Anemones are large coral polyps that, unlike most other corals, have a soft body. Anemones are isolated in a separate order in the class of Coral polyps, in addition to corals, anemones are related to other intestinal animals - jellyfish. They got their second name, sea anemones, for their extraordinary beauty and resemblance to flowers.

Colony of solar anemones (Tubastrea coccinea)

The body of anemones consists of a cylindrical leg and a corolla of tentacles. The leg is formed by longitudinal and ring muscles, which allow the body of anemones to bend, shorten and stretch. The leg may have a thickening at the lower end - a pedal disc or a sole. In some anemones, the ectoderm (skin) of the legs secretes a hardening mucus, with which they stick to a solid substrate, in others it is wide and swollen, such species anchor in loose soil with the help of the sole. Even more amazing is the structure of the leg of the anemones of the genus Minyas: their sole has a bubble - a pneumocyst, which plays the role of a float. These sea anemones swim upside down in the water. The leg tissue consists of individual muscle fibers immersed in a mass of intercellular substance - mesoglea. The mesoglea can have a very thick, cartilage-like consistency, so the anemone's foot is firm to the touch.

Solitary solar anemone with translucent tentacles

At the upper end of the body, anemones have a mouth disk surrounded by one or more rows of tentacles. All tentacles of one row are the same, but in different rows they can vary greatly in length, structure and color.

Deep sea anemone (Urticina felina)

In general, the body of anemones is radially symmetrical, in most cases it can be divided into 6 parts, according to this feature they are even referred to as a subclass of Six-pointed corals. The tentacles are armed with stinging cells that can fire thin venomous filaments. The mouth opening of anemones can be round or oval. It leads to the pharynx, which opens into a blindly closed gastric cavity (a kind of stomach).

Often at the ends of the tentacles one can see swellings formed by clusters of stinging cells.

Anemones are rather primitive animals; they do not have complex sense organs. Their nervous system is represented by groups of sensitive cells located at vital points - around the oral disc, at the base of the tentacles and on the sole. Nerve cells are specialized for different types external influences. So, nerve cells on the soles of the anemones are sensitive to mechanical influences, but do not respond to chemical ones, and the nerve cells near the oral disc, on the contrary, distinguish substances, but do not respond to mechanical stimuli.

Vesicle-shaped thickenings at the ends of the tentacles of the four-colored entacme (Entacmaea quadricolor)

The body of most anemones is naked, but tubular sea anemones have a chitinous outer covering, so their leg looks like a tall, hard tube. In addition, some species may include grains of sand and other building material in their ectoderm that strengthens their integuments. The color of anemones is very diverse, even representatives of the same species can have a different shade. These animals are characterized by all the colors of the rainbow - red, pink, yellow, orange, green, brown, white. Often the tips of the tentacles have a contrasting coloration, which makes them colorful. The sizes of anemones fluctuate over a very wide range. The smallest anemone gonactinia (Gonactinia prolifera) has a height of only 2-3 mm, and the diameter of the oral disc is 1-2 mm. The largest carpet anemone can reach a diameter of 1.5 m, and the sausage metridium anemone (Metridium farcimen) reaches a height of 1 m!

The carpet anemone (Stoichactis haddoni) has tiny wart-like tentacles but can be up to 1.5 m in diameter.

Anemones are common in all seas and oceans of our planet. The largest number of species is concentrated in the tropical and subtropical zones, but these animals can also be found in the polar regions. For example, anemone metridium senile, or sea carnation, is found in all seas of the Arctic Ocean basin.

Cold-water sea anemone metridium senile, or sea carnation (Metridium senile)

Anemone habitats cover all depths: from the surf zone, where during low tide anemones can literally be on land, and to the very depths of the ocean. Of course, few species live at a depth of more than 1000 m, but they have adapted to such an unfavorable environment. Despite the fact that anemones are purely marine animals, some species tolerate a little desalination. So, 4 species are known in the Black Sea, and one is found even in the Sea of ​​Azov.

Deep sea anemones (Pachycerianthus fimbriatus)

Anemones that live in shallow water often contain microscopic algae in their tentacles, which give them a greenish tint and somewhat supply their hosts with nutrients. Such sea anemones live only in illuminated places and are active mainly during the day, since they depend on the intensity of photosynthesis of green algae. Other species, on the contrary, do not like light. Anemones living in the tidal zone have a clear daily rhythm associated with periodic flooding and drainage of the territory.

Anthopleura anemones (Anthopleura xanthogrammica) live in symbiosis with green algae

In general, all types of sea anemones can be divided into three groups according to their lifestyle: sessile, swimming (pelagic) and burrowing. The vast majority of species belong to the first group, only sea anemones of the genus Minyas are swimming, and only sea anemones of the genera Edwardsia, Haloclava, Peachia have a burrowing lifestyle.

This green sea anemone lives in the Philippines

Sedentary sea anemones, despite their name, are able to move slowly. Usually anemones move when something does not suit them in the old place (in search of food, due to insufficient or excessive lighting, etc.). To do this, they use several methods. Some sea anemones bend their body and attach themselves to the ground with their mouth disk, after which they tear off the leg and rearrange it to a new place. This head-to-foot tumbling is similar to the way sedentary jellyfish move. Other anemones move only the sole, alternately tearing off its different parts from the ground. Finally, Aiptasia anemones fall on their side and crawl like worms, alternately contracting different parts of the leg.

Single pipe anemone

This mode of movement is also close to burrowing species. Burrowing anemones don't actually dig that much, most of the time they sit in one place, and they are called burrowers for their ability to burrow deep into the ground, so that only the corolla of tentacles sticks out from the outside. To dig a mink, the sea anemone resorts to a trick: it draws water into the gastric cavity and closes the mouth opening. Then, alternately pumping water from one end of the body to the other, it, like a worm, deepens into the ground.

The highest sea anemone is Metridium sausage (Metridium farcimen)

Small sessile gonactinia can sometimes swim by rhythmically moving its tentacles (such movements are similar to the contractions of the dome of a jellyfish). Floating sea anemones rely more on the strength of currents and are held passively on the surface of the water by pneumocysts.

Lush colony of sea carnations (metridiums)

Anemones are solitary polyps, but in favorable conditions they can form large clusters similar to flowering gardens. Most anemones are indifferent to their fellows, but some have a quarrelsome "character". Such species, upon contact with a neighbor, use stinging cells; upon contact with the enemy's body, they cause necrosis of his tissues. But sea anemones are often "friends" with other animal species. The most striking example is the symbiosis (cohabitation) of sea anemones and amphiprions, or clown fish. Clownfish take care of the sea anemone, cleaning it of unnecessary debris and food debris, sometimes picking up the remains of its prey; the anemone, in turn, eats up what is left of the amphiprion prey. Also, tiny shrimp often act as cleaners and freeloaders, which find shelter from enemies in the tentacles of anemones.

Shrimp in the tentacles of a giant sea anemone (Condylactis gigantea)

The cooperation of hermit crabs with anemones adamsias has gone even further. Adamsia generally live on their own only at a young age, and then they are picked up by hermit crabs and attached to the shells that serve them as a house. Crayfish attach the sea anemone not only as if, but precisely with the mouth disk forward, thanks to this, the sea anemone is always provided with food particles that fall to it from the sand stirred up by the cancer. In turn, the hermit crab receives reliable protection from its enemies in the face of anemones. Moreover, every time he transfers the sea anemone from one shell to another when he changes his house. If the crayfish does not have sea anemones, he tries to find it in any way, and more often to take it away from a happier fellow.

Anemones perceive their prey differently. Some species swallow everything that only touches their hunting tentacles (pebbles, paper, etc.), others spit out inedible objects. These polyps feed on a variety of animal food: some species play the role of filter feeders, extracting the smallest food particles and organic debris from the water, others kill larger prey - small fish that inadvertently approached the tentacles. Anemones, living in symbiosis with algae, feed mostly on their green "friends". During the hunt, the sea anemone keeps its tentacles straightened, and when it is sated, it hides them in a tight lump, hiding behind the edges of the body. Sea anemones shrink into a ball and in case of danger or when drying on the shore (during low tide), well-fed individuals can be in this state for many hours.

A colony of sun anemones hiding their tentacles

Sea anemones can reproduce asexually and sexually. Asexual reproduction is carried out through longitudinal division, when the body of an anemone is divided into two individuals. Only the most primitive gonactinia has a transverse division, when a mouth grows in the middle of the leg, and then it breaks up into two independent organisms. In some anemones, a kind of budding can be observed, when several young organisms are separated from the sole at once. Ability to asexual reproduction causes a high ability to regenerate tissues: sea anemones easily restore cut off parts of the body.

The same solar anemones, but with extended tentacles

Most sea anemones have separate sexes, although outwardly males do not differ from females. Only in some species can both male and female germ cells be formed at the same time. Spermatozoa and eggs are formed in the mesoglea of ​​sea anemones, but fertilization can occur both in external environment and in the gastric cavity. Anemone larvae (planula) move freely in the water column for the first week of life and during this time they are carried by currents over long distances. In some sea anemones, planulae develop in special pockets on the mother's body.

Touching the tentacles of large sea anemones can cause painful stinging cell burns, but deaths are unknown. Some types of anemones (carpet, horse or strawberry, etc.) are kept in aquariums.

Its second name - sea anemone - actinia received for its extraordinary beauty. This marine life really looks like a beautiful flower. Unlike other coral polyps, anemone has a soft body. According to the biological classification, sea anemones are a type of coelenterates, a class of coral polyps. They are closely related to jellyfish.

Anemone has a soft body compared to other corals.

Description of sea anemone

To determine whether an anemone is an animal or a plant, it is necessary to study the features of its structure. Actinia belongs to the animal kingdom. Her body is cylindrical. From above it is decorated with a rim of tentacles.

External features

Sea anemones come in a variety of colors. In nature, there are varieties of all colors and shades. Many species have contrasting tentacle coloration, which makes these animals even more attractive.

The sizes of these coelenterates are also striking in variety:

• the height of gonactinia does not exceed 3 mm;
• the diameter of the carpet anemone reaches 1.5 m;
• the height of the sausage metridium species can be up to 1 m.

body structure

The main part of the body - the leg - consists of muscles that are located along the ring and longitudinally. Due to the contractions of these muscles, the polyp can bend and change its length. On the bottom of the leg there is a so-called sole. Its surface is different types arranged differently. Some, with the help of the sole, "root" in loose soil, others secrete a special substance with which they attach to hard surfaces. In the genus Minyas, the sole is equipped with a pneumocyst - a special bubble that acts as a float and allows you to swim with the sole up.

The muscle fibers of the leg are surrounded by the intercellular substance mesoglea, which has a dense cartilaginous texture and gives the body elasticity.

On the upper part of the body there is a mouth disk, around which tentacles are arranged in several rows. In one row, all tentacles are the same, but in different rows they can differ significantly in appearance and structure. Each tentacle is equipped with stinging cells that emit thin poisonous threads.

The oral disc leads into the pharynx, and from there a passage opens into the gastric cavity - a primitive likeness of the stomach. Nervous system the sea anemone is very simple, it is represented clusters of sensory neurons around the oral disc and in the sole area:

• nerve cells around the sole react only to mechanical stress;
• clusters around the mouth opening and tentacles distinguish chemical composition substances.

habitats

Actinia is a coelenterate organism, common throughout the world. Most varieties can be found in tropical latitudes, but some species live even in polar regions, where temperatures environment very low. Metridium, or sea carnation, lives in the Arctic Ocean.

The depth of the animal's habitat is also striking in its diversity. Sea anemones can also live in the surf zone, where they land on land at low tide, and in the very depths of the seas and oceans. Some species have adapted to survive at depths of more than 1,000 meters. In the waters of the Black Sea, 4 species of these polyps were found, and in the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bAzov - 1 species.

Shallow water inhabitants often depend on the processes of photosynthesis, as microscopic algae settle in their tentacles. These species are common in places with good lighting and are active during daylight hours.

Other varieties, on the contrary, do not like bright light and tend to go to the depths.

Lifestyle and nutrition

Anemone feeds on organic food. These polyps can catch and perceive their prey in different ways:

• some species swallow everything, including small pebbles and debris;
• part of the anemones throws out all the inedible objects that they have come across;
• the largest and predatory ones catch and kill fish that are nearby;
• some polyps live in symbiosis with algae and feed on them.

The “hungry” sea anemone opens its tentacles-rays wide and catches everything that swims past it. After the sea anemone is satiated, she rolls her tentacles into a ball and hides them. The same reaction is noted when drying out or approaching danger.

All sea anemones are usually divided into three varieties:

• sedentary;
• floating;
• digging.

Sedentary varieties are named so rather conditionally, since they are able to move slowly. Polyps begin to move when they have little food, too little or too much light. Movement can be done in several ways:

• "tumbles" - when anemones stick their mouths to the ground and tear off the leg, rearranging it to another place;
• alternately tearing off from the soil one or the other part of the sole;
• crawling, contracting different muscles of the body.

Burrowing sea anemones sit most of the time, burrowing into the ground so that only the corolla remains outside. In order to make a hole for itself, the animal draws water into the gastric cavity and pumps it, deepening in this way into the soil.

Floating varieties are held on the water and given to the force of the current. They can rhythmically move their tentacles or use pneumocysts.

Polyps begin to move when they have little food, too little or too much light.

Reproduction methods

Sea anemones breed different ways. With the asexual method, the body of the polyp is divided in the longitudinal direction with the formation of two individuals. The exception is gonactinia - the most primitive view, which is divided transversely. In the middle of the polyp leg, a second oral opening is formed, then two separate individuals form.

Some organisms reproduce by budding from the underside of a stalk, producing several new individuals.

These coelenterates are mostly dioecious, although outward signs it is impossible to distinguish male and female from each other. sexual reproduction going on in the following way:

1. Sex cells are formed in the thickness of the intercellular substance.
2. Fertilization can occur in the gastric cavity or in water.
3. As a result, planulae (larvae) are formed, which are freely carried by the current over long distances.

Anemones can reproduce both sexually and asexually.

Interaction with other organisms

Although sea anemones are of the solitary polyp type, in some situations these organisms can aggregate and form giant colonies. Most sea anemones are indifferent to their own kind, although some species can be very aggressive and quarrelsome.

With other types of marine animals and plants, sea anemones can coexist very closely. A common example is the clownfish symbiosis. The sea anemone “eats up” the prey after the fish, and that, in turn, cleans the polyp from debris and food debris.

Often, small shrimp act as symbionts: they hide from enemies among the tentacles of anemones and at the same time clear organic debris and debris.

Adamsia sea anemones can only live in symbiosis with hermit crabs, which attach polyps to their shells. In this case, the sea anemone is located in such a way that its oral disk is directed forward and food particles get into it. Cancer, in turn, receives reliable protection from predators. Changing the shell, the hermit will transfer to a new "dwelling" and sea anemone. If cancer somehow loses "its" polyp, it can even take it away from a relative. This existence benefits both species.

Before buying sea anemones, just like other sea creatures, you need to make sure that you have a good idea of ​​how to properly care for them. Their requirements may surprise you. Here are some recommendations based on my own experience.

Water quality

IN in general terms it can be said that the same water parameters are required for the maintenance of sea anemones as are required for SPS corals (small polyp stony corals). Specifically: high dissolved oxygen, SG 1.024 to 1.026, stable pH 8.1 to 8.3, temperature 76 to 78 F, calcium 400 to 450, dKH 8.0 to 12.0, magnesium 1250 and 1350 ppm, nitrate levels of 2 ppm or less (the closer to zero the better), a stable phosphate level of around 0.002 ppm or less (closer to zero is better), and finally zero levels of ammonia and nitrite. The key to a healthy and prosperous existence of sea anemones, as well as all representatives of the underwater world living in captivity, is to maintain stable water parameters in the aquarium at a given level or close to it.

Aquarium conditions/parameters

A) The maturity of the aquarium. When keeping anemones, this aspect is more important for beginners than for hardened veterans (to be clear - I do not consider myself to be the latter). The bottom line is that aquariums younger than 6 months old can be subject to fluctuations in water parameters, and not all anemones can withstand such changes.

B) The flow and circulation of water. Sea anemones need at least a slight current. They breathe by absorbing oxygen directly from the water. In their natural habitat, anemones also need a current that brings food and carries away waste. In essence, sea anemones require medium to low current. One of the most common causes of malaise in sea anemones is abnormal flow. As a result, they begin to move around the aquarium, in order to find the most favorable place. Different anemones have different attitudes towards the flow and circulation of water in an aquarium.

C) lighting requirements. Sea anemones require the same good light as SPS corals (small polyp stony corals) to thrive. Through photosynthesis, sea anemones produce a large number of necessary nutrients. Anemone tissues contain zooxatenella algae, which allow them to use light. Traditionally, metal halide lamps or T5 HO lamps have been considered to be best suited for actinium. The high quality of the LEDs also contributes to the good lighting that sea anemones need. When I have kept bubble and carpet anemones, I have used T5HO bulbs and high quality LEDs with great success. As a general rule, if your lighting is a little less than ideal, you can always make up for it with regular feedings.

There are many different opinions about what should be the optimal lighting. I developed my own rule: 4 watts per gallon of water (14,000 K lamp). Such lighting will be optimal for aquariums with a height of about 20 centimeters. Once again, this rule is based on personal positive experience of keeping sea anemones.

D) The level of oxygen content. For sea anemones, as well as for other representatives of the underwater world, the most favorable is the high level of oxygen content. Achieving optimal oxygen levels is not difficult, especially if you ensure good water circulation in the aquarium and use a skimmer.

Feeding sea anemones

There are several opinions about feeding sea anemones. Some do not feed them at all, and anemones remain healthy and grow in the aquarium for many years, provided there is sufficient light levels. Personally, I fed anemones two to three times a month, which contributed to their rapid growth and healthy existence. If you want to speed up the growth of sea anemones, you can even feed them 3 times a week. I fed my anemones every week, as a result of which they quickly grew, multiplied and looked quite contented with life.

High-protein animal foods such as shellfish, scallops, shrimp, mussels, and shrimp larvae are great for sea anemones. There are other types of anemone food, but I haven't tried them.

Before feeding the sea anemone, make sure the food is small enough for him to swallow easily. Place the food as close to the sea anemone as possible (I use long tweezers for this). As soon as food comes into contact with an anemone, it should react immediately. It can take up to 2-3 minutes for anemones to pick up food and swallow it. If an anemone is under stress, it may take longer. And be sure to keep an eye on other animals and fish in the tank, as they will usually try to take food from the sea anemone while it tries to eat it.

clown fish

Do anemones need clown fish?... The answer is no. Anemones can do just fine without them. However, such an alliance is mutually beneficial and has a number of advantages for both parties: clown fish protect the sea anemone from other fish and even from some animals that inhabit the aquarium, in addition, clowns leave uneaten food on the sea anemone (that is, they actually feed it), and, finally, Clownfish hide in sea anemones to protect themselves from other fish. At the same time, sea anemones and clownfish can perfectly exist and remain healthy and happy separately from each other.

If you are going to get a pair of clownfish for your sea anemone, make sure you choose the right species and that they will actually bond with your sea anemone in the future, as usually certain types of clownfish nest in certain types of sea anemones.

On the other hand, anemones can become dangerous to other inhabitants of the aquarium, because they are not particularly picky about food. Representatives of some species catch and eat almost all slowly moving small fish or paralyze those who swim too close to their tentacles. My carpet anemone ate a large number of snails (and then spit out the shell), pygmy wrasse (a species of orange-backwrasse), and all the cleaner shrimp, while the bladder anemone did not touch any of them.

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Movement of sea anemones

The movement of anemones around the aquarium may indicate a change in water quality or other conditions, which negatively affects their existence. If your sea anemone has started to move and you haven't changed the lighting or the current, the problem may be related to a change in water parameters. Some anemones are more prone to movement than others. For example, I had a blister anemone that separated, and one of the separated parts began to move around until it found appropriate place away from other anemones. However, my carpet anemones have been in the same place for several years.

Addition of sea anemones to the aquarium

If, after reading all the requirements and recommendations, you decide to purchase an anemone and place it in your aquarium, I suggest following these steps:

A) First of all, as soon as you lower the anemone into the aquarium, turn off the current for 24 hours. This will help him get used to his new home.

B) First you need to ensure the “maturity” of the aquarium environment and make sure that the water parameters correspond to the required level and remain stable.

C) Then you need to choose a suitable place in the aquarium. Some sea anemones prefer to attach their feet to rocks, while others like to stick to the bottom of the aquarium. Some sea anemones attach themselves to a substrate that can be placed in an aquarium (3 to 6 inches). Therefore, you should first consider all possible options and choose the best place for your anemone. In addition, you need to think about lighting and water circulation.

D) Now you are ready to buy sea anemones. It is important to choose a healthy individual, so in the store, pay attention to the color of the sea anemone (the color should not be pale) and the mouth (it should be closed).

E) After the purchase, you must carefully bring the sea anemone home and help him adapt to new living conditions.

E) In addition to acclimatizing sea anemones to water parameters, attention should be paid to adaptation to aquarium lighting. One of the best ways is to use a translucent plastic screen for shading. Place three of these screens at the top of the tank and remove one about every 3 days. This will allow the sea anemones to gradually get used to the new lighting.

G) From several days to a week, the anemone will be in a stressful state until it gets used to the new conditions of existence. For a day or two, an anemone may hide in rocks or keep its mouth wide open. This reaction can be repeated several times.

H) Until your anemone settles in its new home, it is better to turn off the current at night. From my own experience, sea anemones start to move after you turn off the lights. And when moving, they can easily penetrate the pump.

If you notice one or more of the following signs of stress within a week of placing your anemone in the aquarium, or if you notice them after a long stay in the aquarium, this is an indication that your anemone is having difficulty adjusting or is in a dysfunctional state.

A) Actinia releases a lot of viscous liquid Brown. This may signal that the water parameters are not suitable for your anemone, as a result of which it is losing zooxatenella. This can become a serious problem.

B) The sea anemone shrinks or swells too much. This usually happens when the anemone is cleared of waste by changing the water that is inside. However, if this happens constantly (let's say every day or more), or the anemone remains compressed long time This is a sure sign of stress.

C) The anemone's mouth is open even when it is not eating or excreting waste.

D) Anemone moves in stones and disappears from view (for stone anemones this is the norm).

E) Actinia turned pale or almost colorless, this effect is also called “whitening”. In general, this is another symptom of the loss of zooxatenell, or the result of insufficient preparation of anemones for new aquarium lighting.

E) The anemone's mouth remains open or dilated even when the anemone is not eating. In extreme cases of stress, the mouth will turn inside out.

G) Sea anemones are not fixed anywhere in your tank.

Anemone bleaching

If your sea anemone suddenly becomes discolored (or loses most of its color) during an extended stay in a tank, this is an indication of lighting or water quality problems. Listed below are the most common causes of anemone bleaching.

A) Too much light
B) Insufficient lighting
C) Too high nutrient levels in the water
D) Too low nutrient levels in the water

Below I have given recommendations based on my own experience for the maintenance of carpet and bubble anemones. Today, there are many other types of sea anemones suitable for keeping in an aquarium, however, personal experience I have not encountered them.

bubble anemones

Currently, this species is one of the most common in the aquarium trade. From my own experience, I can say that bubble anemones are one of the most unpretentious and probably the most hardy species for aquarium keeping. As a rule, in order to gain a foothold and protect their foot, bubble anemones choose cracks in the stones. The most favorable conditions for them are moderate water flows and average level illumination.

Most widespread received red and green bubble anemones, but blue and orange anemones can be found. They are easy to distinguish due to their very long tentacles (1-2 inches long) with bubbles at the ends. The size and shape of the bubbles, depending on the type of anemone, can vary from very large to almost invisible. Bubble anemones can be up to one meter in diameter, so I suggest using an aquarium of at least 30 gallons.

Usually bubble anemones penetrate with their foot into the crevice of the stone, where they are further fixed. They prefer moderate water currents and medium light levels. Bubble anemones are the most active in the aquarium. Any change, even a small one that is difficult to determine, can set these anemones in motion.

Ideal conditions for keeping bubble anemones contribute to rapid reproduction, which occurs in two ways - sexually (spawning) and asexually (dividing). In just one year, living in my aquarium, the bubble anemone has grown into five full-fledged anemones. It works like this: when an anemone reaches its maximum size, it divides and one part begins to move around the aquarium until it finds a suitable place.

If you want to add clownfish to your aquarium, check out the list below for species that prefer to live in bubble anemones. I found this list in a marine aquarium magazine.

Amphiprion clarkii
Amphiprion ocellaris
Amphiprion akindynos(reef clown)
Amphiprion bicinctus(two stripe clown)
(orange-finned clownfish)
Amphiprion ephippium(fire clown)
Amphiprion frenatus(tomato clown)
Amphiprion latezonatus(broadband clown)
Amphiprion mccullochi(McCulloch's clown)
Amphiprion melanopus(black clown)
Amphiprion rubrocinctus(Australian clown)
Amphiprion tricinctus(three stripe clown)

The photo below is of my blister anemone three weeks after dividing. After I took the photo after one or two weeks, the left anemone began to move around the aquarium.

Carpet anemones

This type of sea anemone is one of the most difficult to keep in an aquarium. The most common carpet anemones are Stichodactyla gigantea And Stichodactyla haddoni. In appearance, they are very similar, so it is quite difficult to distinguish them from each other. However, due to slight differences in the needs of these sea anemones, which may affect their further development you have to learn to distinguish between them.

Carpet anemones Stichodactyla gigantea

These anemones are the most difficult to care for. I have spent a lot of time studying these sea anemones, so I can tell exactly what the difference is between gigantea And haddoni. in diameter gigantea (Stichodactyla gigantea) reaches over 1.5 meters, and often weighs around 2 pounds when contained in ideal conditions. In their natural habitat, the diameter of these sea anemones can reach up to three meters. Their tentacles are the longest among the carpet anemones, but much shorter than those of the bubble anemones. The tentacles are ¼ to ¾ inches long. In appearance, these sea anemones are similar to a shaggy carpet of the 60s. As a rule, they have a brown or sandy color, less common are green, blue, yellow, purple and pink anemones. The rarest colors are red and dark blue. There are no known cases of breeding in the home aquarium.

For content S. gigantea Many recommend using a species tank of at least 40 gallons, but I would recommend a tank of at least 75 gallons. In addition, it is necessary to ensure a moderate (or slightly above average) circulation of water in the aquarium. I have seen such an anemone nestled right in the flow of the return pump. sea ​​anemones S. gigantea are the most demanding on lighting conditions, therefore, compared to the rest, they need more light. They like to bury their foot 3-6 inches into the substrate and attach themselves to the bottom of the aquarium. Thus, when they feel threatened, they are completely drawn into the substrate.

In this photo you can see anemones S. gigantea rare colors.

I took this photo at a local aquarium store.

Below is my blue carpet anemone.

Carpet anemones Stichodactyla haddoni

sea ​​anemones haddoni (Stichodactyla haddoni) can reach the same large sizes as giant sea anemones, about 2 meters in diameter. Although they are difficult to keep, these difficulties are nothing compared to the difficulties that arise when keeping giant anemones. S. haddoni have very short tentacles that look more like colored bumps. They look a bit like commercial carpets to me. Their tentacles are about half the length of giant anemone tentacles. As a rule, they are brown or sandy in color, green, blue and purple are less common, red and pink are the most rare.

S. haddoni increase in size very quickly. My sea anemone grew from 4 inches to 12 inches in 18 months. Many recommend a 40 gallon or larger aquarium for the primary setting, but I recommend 75 gallons or more. They are usually placed in the sand, burying their foot 3-6 inches into the substrate, and attach themselves to the bottom of the aquarium. As soon as they feel danger, they are completely drawn into the substrate. Although haddoni and gigantea have similar light requirements, haddoni prefer less water circulation than gigantea (below average).

sea ​​anemones S. haddoni quite aggressive with their victims: as soon as they get too close to their tentacles, haddoni immediately grab and eat them. Due to the highly adhesive tentacles, they are quite difficult to deal with. My sea anemone ate a lot of snails (and then spit out shells), shrimp and a few fish.

Clown fish mostly prefer to settle in carpet anemones. [ Note. ed.: Dubious assertion] If you want to add clownfish to your aquarium, check out the following list to help you determine which clownfish species are best for carpet anemones.

Amphiprion ocellaris(anemone clown (all kinds of colors))
Amphiprion akindynos(reef clown)
Amphiprion chrysogaster(Muritic clown)
Amphiprion chrysopterus(orange-finned clownfish)
Amphiprion clarkii(Clark the Clown)
Amphiprion polymnus(saddle clown)
Amphiprion sebae(Seba the Clown)
Amphiprion chrysopterus Blueline(orange-finned clownfish)
Amphiprion ephippium(fire clown)
Amphiprion frenatus(tomato clown)

Below is my red carpet anemone haddoni. This photo was taken immediately after being placed in the aquarium, which was then about 4 inches in size. In the following photos you can see haddoni in normal size - about 14 inches.

About the animals included in the order Actiniaria. The name of the animals comes from the name of the earth flower, anemone.

If the classification is checked, sea anemones are included in the class Anthozoa, a type of cnidarians and a subclass of six-pointed corals. This animal is known to the world because of its symbiotic relationship with fish.

From the commonwealth with fish, sea anemones benefit - improved gas exchange and nutrition (food that remains after the meal of the fish).

A symbiosis has also developed between sea anemones and crabs of the genus Lybia. Boxer crabs use the stinging anemone polyps for their own defense against predators. Crabs pick up sea anemones and hold them as a shield. Anemones, in turn, thanks to crabs get mobility, because they cannot move independently.

Here are some interesting facts about sea anemones:

Anemones, like all other cnidarians, have mesoglea in their body - a jelly-like substance. Anemones have a close relationship with corals, hydra, and jellyfish.

Anemones are able to decorate any aquarium. For commercial purposes, sea anemones are treated as a collection for the aquarium. Thus, the anemone trade is increasing.

These Marine life have an amazing range of color diversity. Their vitreous bodies are always bright and tender.

Anemone size.

The diameter can reach 1.8 - 3 cm. The largest sea anemones have a span of 2 meters. The smallest barely reach 4 mm.

The mouth of an anemone functions like an anus. The function of capturing and catching prey. The location of the mouth is the center of the disc cavity. And several tentacles are located around the mouth.

Anemones are harmless and harmless animals. The sea anemone is not dangerous to humans. However, some species of sea anemones have a toxin capable of causing burns to humans.

Anemones feed on fish, mollusks and small marine animals. Peaceful anemones are calm individuals: they eat everything that floats in the water. However, they distinguish between edible food and non-edible food.

• In the neighborhood of sea anemones live those fish and shellfish that are insensitive to their poison.
• For large and predatory fish, anemones serve as a place of camouflage and shelter.

This animal, sea ​​anemone, completely different from other cnidarians in their way of life. They have the disadvantage of free swimming, like jellyfish do. They differ from corals in that they do not live in colonies, in groups, but one at a time - they prefer to live alone.

Life cycle of an anemone. The polyp comes from Planula after the egg, fertilized by the sperm, begins to divide.

Asexual reproduction is also characteristic of sea anemones. In some species of anemones, division is the result of
asexual reproduction.

Most anemones live in one place all the time. However, they may move to another place if it is not suitable for them to live. They move if predators pester them or the location faces prolonged dryness. To get to a new place, they use movements that resemble crawling.

The sea anemone can be consumed as food. It is used as a delicacy in southwestern Spain and southern Italy.

Sea anemones are often served battered or marinated in vinegar.

The anemone animal really looks like a flower. They were called anemones, but for some it resembles an aster. Researchers of the deep sea counted one and a half thousand various kinds anemone.

Cut into pieces, sea anemones demonstrate their remarkable ability to reproduce and regenerate.

In one row, all anemone tentacles are the same in color, structure and length. however, they may differ in different rows.

Any person who has seen this amazing creature is primarily interested in: is an anemone an animal or a plant? Many are misled by the definition of this creature - "sea anemone": yet most people know that an anemone is a flower. Surprisingly beautiful, able to adapt to life in the form of rather vulnerable organisms, amaze the imagination: you just want to take them with you, protect and shelter. Not worth it! First of all, it is not for nothing that sometimes these creatures are called "jellyfish anemones": they are quite capable of standing up, and not only for themselves. And secondly, you are unlikely to be able to create suitable living conditions for them. So, being at the resort, just enjoy their view and try not to swim too close, so as not to treat after quite painful burns.

Appearance

It is the appearance of these creatures that gives rise to the eternal question: is an anemone an animal or a plant? And by the way, until the end of the 19th century, they were classified as plant species. However, science does not stand still: it was found that "sea anemones" are animals that are similar in structure and lifestyle to jellyfish and other intestinal cavities, to which many biologists include ctenophores.

If you explain primitively, then any sea anemone (photos are presented) is one continuous mouth on a leg. Flower-like "petals" are the tentacles responsible for delivering food. Most often, the “stand” has a flat sole, with which “sea anemones” are attached to a rock or a hard bottom; but there are species with a pointed limb - they are stuck into the bottom like a bouquet; and there are floating varieties. Observing the behavior of these creatures, you will no longer be puzzled: is an anemone an animal or a plant? It immediately becomes clear that she is not just an animal - she is a predator.

Sea anemones are not polyps

It would also be a mistake to say that this most beautiful creature is coral. The sea anemone, no doubt, is very close to the polyps, which form islands that enchant everyone. However, they do not form a skeleton, but corals are the skeletons of polyps. At the same time, it cannot be said that the sea anemone is “soft-bodied”, since the substance that fills the space between its cells forms a very thick layer and resembles cartilage in vertebrates in density.

What do they eat?

Another argument in doubt, sea anemone is an animal or plant - its diet. If those interested remember, plants feed on water (with substances dissolved in it) and what they can get from the soil. However, sea anemones prefer a completely different menu. It includes small invertebrates and small fish(if you're lucky). The method of obtaining food is also absolutely non-vegetative: the tentacles paralyze the prey and pull it to the mouth. Some may object: this is also known, but they cannot boast of their mouths and dissolve the prey with enzymes located directly on the leaf plate or in a trap flower. That is, they do not have organs designed exclusively for digestion.

Impact on the victim

Even if we assume that anemone is a plant, then we must look for an explanation for its method of hunting. In each stinging cell - albeit a very, very small one - there is a kind of capsule in which the poison is enclosed. And on the outside there is a stinging thread with spikes facing backwards. Visually, under a microscope, this whole device resembles a miniature harpoon. When an anemone attacks, the thread straightens, the needle pierces the victim's body and releases poison. Not a single plant has such a complex structure - they are much lower in the evolutionary ladder and have a much simpler structure.

By the way, the stinging poison of anemones is dangerous even for such a large organism as a person. Of course, it will not lead to a fatal outcome, but burning with itching will provide, and in some cases necrosis develops. Those who regularly communicate with gentle "anemones", almost all without exception have an allergy.

The famous symbiosis

I must say that most marine flowers lead a fixed lifestyle. However, updating the hunting grounds is what any sea anemone needs. Locomotion is usually carried out by means of symbionts. The most famous of them (familiar thanks to the Soviet touching cartoon) is the hermit crab. The most interesting thing is that this armored one itself transfers a creature deadly to mollusks onto its “shell”. For quite a long time they coexist peacefully: the crayfish carries the sea flower from place to place, the sea anemone repels the attacks made against it. natural enemies. However, everything is not so rosy: the “leg” of the sea “flower” easily dissolves the organic matter that makes up the carrier’s shell, after which the cancer comes to an end.

Moving sea anemones

Even those sea anemones, which are designed by nature to "sit" in place, can move. In the end, the small inhabitants of the oceans, as the people say, are “no dumber than a steam locomotive” and eventually realize the danger of some bottom area. Accordingly, ocean flowers are forced to migrate as their hunting grounds become scarce. What does the average sea anemone do in this case? Move her slowly but surely. The sole separates from the bottom, extends a small distance, is fixed and tightens the rest of the body. However, small species (like gonactinia) can even swim by straightening their tentacles backwards.

Fish-actinium cooperation

I must say, ocean anemones symbiote not only with hermit crabs. They also travel on other armored ones (however, for carriers this usually ends the same way, even in the case of small varieties). However, sea anemones can coexist quite peacefully with fish. Off the Australian coast, the largest sea anemones on earth (their “mouth” is often not limited to a one and a half meter diameter) give shelter among their tentacles to amphiprions - very bright fish that feed the “owner” with fallen food residues, and create additional aeration with the work of their fins. At the same time, anemones are quite capable of distinguishing their friends from other fish and actively protect them from predatory encroachments.

Anemone breeding

They prefer the sexual method, which is another proof that sea flowers are animals, not plants. However, under adverse conditions, they can also use budding, in which you begin to remember the misconception about “an anemone is a plant”, and longitudinal or transverse division. This is especially true for small varieties. The same gonactinia tends to split across. It is extremely interesting to observe this: first of all, a wreath of tentacles grows around the circumference of the body, and then it is divided. The upper half grows a sole, the lower half grows a “mouth” and another set of goads. It is noteworthy that the second division does not wait for the end of the first, so that an anemone of this species may be surrounded by several rings of tentacles, foreshadowing the imminent appearance of several individuals.

Check if anemone is an animal or a plant - you can also on own example. Sea anemones do not regard a person as either an enemy or a prey. So when a human touches, they simply fold (if they are not pulled, of course). You could say they are hiding. And the rest of the anemone (photos show this) is a very beautiful and interesting creature, which is even curious to watch.