Anthozoa is a subphylum of marine invertebrates which includes sessile cnidarians such as the sea anemones, stony corals, soft corals and sea pens. Adult anthozoans are almost all attached to the seabed, while their larvae can disperse as planktons. The basic unit of the adult is the polyp; this consists of a cylindrical column topped by a disc with a central mouth surrounded by tentacles. Sea anemones are mostly solitary, but the majority of corals are colonial, being formed by the budding of new polyps from an original, founding individual. Colonies are strengthened by calcium carbonate and other materials and take various massive, plate-like, bushy or leafy forms.
The aggregating anemone, or clonal anemone, is the most abundant species of sea anemone found on rocky, tide swept shores along the Pacific coast of North America. This cnidarian hosts endosymbiotic algae called zooxanthellae that contribute substantially to primary productivity in the intertidal zone. The aggregating anemone has become a model organism for the study of temperate cnidarian-algal symbioses. They are most well known for the ability to clone themselves.
Actiniidae is the largest family of sea anemones, to which most common, temperate, shore species belong. Most members of this family do not participate in symbioses with fishes. Three exceptions are the bubble-tip anemone, snakelocks anemone and Urticina piscivora.
The beadlet anemone is a common sea anemone found on rocky shores around all coasts of Western Europe and the Mediterranean Sea, and along the Atlantic coast of Africa as far south as South Africa and Australia.
Anemonia sulcata, or Mediterranean snakelocks sea anemone, is a species of sea anemone in the family Actiniidae from the Mediterranean Sea. Whether A. sulcata should be recognized as a synonym of A. viridis remains a matter of dispute.
The Davenport Tide Pools are located just past the town of Davenport, California in the United States. They are located where Davenport Landing Road loops to the sea off Highway 1. Parallel ridges running perpendicular to the sea separate the tide pools from each other and make them unique, producing communities in which organisms which normally could not live in close proximity to each other can do so. The beach is day use only, open sunrise to sunset.
Anthopleura xanthogrammica, or the giant green anemone, is a species of intertidal sea anemone of the family Actiniidae.
Pseudactinia flagellifera, the false plum anemone, is a species of sea anemone in the family Actiniidae. It is also a member of the kingdom, Animalia.
Anthopleura michaelseni, commonly known as the long-tentacled anemone or crevice anemone, is a species of sea anemone in the family Actiniidae. It is native to very shallow water round the coasts of southern Africa between Lüderitz and Durban.
Epiactis prolifera, the brooding, proliferating or small green anemone, is a species of marine invertebrate in the family Actiniidae. It is found in the north-eastern Pacific. It has a feature rare among animals in that all individuals start life as females but develop testes later in their lives to become hermaphrodites.
Urticina eques is a species of sea anemone in the family Actiniidae. It is commonly known as the white-spotted rose anemone or strawberry anemone.
Actinia bermudensis, the red, maroon or stinging anemone, is a species of sea anemone in the family Actiniidae.
Oulactis muscosa, also known as the sand anemone and speckled anemone, is a species of sea anemone in the family Actiniidae.
Macrodactyla doreensis, common names long tentacle anemone and corkscrew tentacle sea anemone, is a species of sea anemone in the family Actiniidae.
Dofleinia armata, commonly known as the striped anemone or armed anemone, is a species of sea anemone in the family Actiniidae. It is the only species in the genus Dofleinia.
Anthopleura ballii, commonly known as the red speckled anemone, is a species of sea anemone in the family Actiniidae. It is found in shallow water in the northeastern Atlantic Ocean.
Anthopleura thallia, commonly known as the glaucous pimplet, is a species of sea anemone in the family Actiniidae. It is found in shallow water in the northeastern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea.
Aulactinia veratra, the green snakelock anemone, is a species of sea anemone in the family Actiniidae. It is native to the southeastern Indian Ocean and the southwestern Pacific Ocean.
Epiactis ritteri, the sandy anemone or Ritter's brooding anemone, is a species of sea anemone in the family Actiniidae. It is found in the Pacific Ocean on the western coast of North America in the shallow sub-littoral zone.
Anthopleura artemisia is a species of sea anemone. It is known by a number of common names, including burrowing anemone and moonglow anemone. It was first described to science in 1846 in a volume by James Dwight Dana, reporting on the animals found on the United States Exploring Expedition. Dana attributes the description to Charles Pickering, who was a naturalist on the expedition.
