TUBE-DWELLING ANEMONE
(Pachycerianthus fimbriatus)
Habitat: Sandy bottom areas from Alaska to Baja California
Size: 30 cm (12 in)
Position in food web: Carnivorous suspension
feeder: Feeds on organic particles, plankton, small fish, and invertebrates. Prey for nudibranchs.
Interesting facts:
The tube of the tube-dwelling anemone can reach several feet down into the substrate and serves as an escape for the anemone when predators try to eat it.
The tentacles of the tube-dwelling anemone are easily regenerated so attacks from predatory nudibranchs are rarely fatal.
The tentacles of the tube-dwelling anemone, like several other species of anemones, absorb ultraviolet light and shine it back as visible light giving them a fluorescent orange color.
Relatives: Sea jellies, corals, and sea fans