Cnidaria · cnidarians

Magnificent sea anemone

Heteractis magnifica

Stichodactylidae · carpet & host anemonesIUCN: Not evaluated
Magnificent sea anemone
Photo: Nhobgood Nick Hobgood · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons · resized

A large reef anemone that hosts several species of clownfish.

Fun factA protective mucus coat lets clownfish live among its stinging tentacles.

Waters
Indo-Pacific
Depth zone
Coral reefs
Diet
Zooplankton & symbiotic algae
Size
Up to 1 m across

Classification

Cnidaria › Anthozoa › Actiniaria › Stichodactylidae

  1. Kingdom Animalia animals
    • Many-celled organisms that eat other living things for energy (heterotrophs)
    • Cells have no cell walls
    • Most can move at some stage of life
  2. Phylum Cnidaria cnidarians
    • Radially symmetric bodies with one opening that is both mouth and anus
    • Stinging cells (cnidocytes) fire tiny harpoons (nematocysts)
    • Two body forms: an attached polyp and a swimming bell (medusa)
  3. Class Anthozoa corals & anemones
    • Live only as polyps; there is no swimming jellyfish stage
    • Gut is divided by internal walls (mesenteries)
    • Includes corals and sea anemones
  4. Subclass Hexacorallia stony corals & anemones
    • Tentacles and internal walls come in multiples of six
    • Includes stony corals and sea anemones
  5. Order Actiniaria sea anemones
    • Sea anemones: single, soft-bodied polyps without a skeleton
    • Grip surfaces with a muscular base (pedal disc) and can slowly move
    • Catch prey with a ring of stinging tentacles around the mouth
  6. Family Stichodactylidae carpet & host anemones
    • Large, often carpet-like tropical anemones
    • Many host clownfish and other symbiotic animals
  7. Genus Heteractis
    • Species in the same genus are very close relatives and often look alike.
  8. Species Heteractis magnifica Magnificent sea anemone

Closest relatives in the guide