32 photos - 21 species


Actinoporus elongatus

Sand-dwelling anemone

 Maximum size: 5.2 cm

Maximum depth: 0 - 2 m

This sea anemone is usually found solitary in sandbanks,

in the sand near reefs and in seagrass.

Normally it is completely buried in the sand.

We found this one during a night dive. 

It has very short tentacles that barely protrude beyond the oral disc.

A few rows of tiny bumps can be seen on the oral disc itself.

If it is disturbed, it can partially retract its oral disc into the body column

and bury itself completely.

Photos 1 - 3 Astrid: Bonaire Caribbean


Bartholomea annulata

Corkscrew anemone or Curleyclue anemone

 Size: 10 - 18 cm

Depth 1.5 - 40 cm

Long, pointed and thin transparent tentacles with white corkscrew pattern.

Colour variations of body and tentacles: grey, green, brown.

Slightly poisonous.

Photo 1 Johnny: Bonaire Caribbean


Calliactis polypus

Hermit crab anemone

This species has up to 700 thin tentacles and inhabits rock

and coral reefs down to a depth of 60 metres.

It lives symbiotically on snail shells, which are inhabited by hermit crabs.

Photo 1 Johnny: Hurghada Egypt


Condylactis gigantea

Giant sea anemone, Giant caribbean anemone 

or Giant caribbean sea anemone

 Maximum size: 15-30 cm

Largest Caribbean anemone, white body, often differently coloured.

Found in reefs and lagoons.

Their bodies are usually hidden in crevices.

Not poisonous, but can easily nettle sensitive skin.

Photos 1 - 3 Johnny: Bonaire Caribbean


Cryptodendrum adhaesivum

Adhesive anemone, Pizza anemone or Nap-edged anemone

This species lives individually in the shallow water of lagoons,

as well as on outer and fringing reefs down to a depth of 30 metres.

They are flat like plates and can reach a size of 75 cm in diameter.

They have very short and sticky tentacles.

Anemone crabs and anemone shrimps are often found in them.

Photo 1 Johnny: Hurghada Egypt

Photo 2 Johnny: Bali Indonesia


Edwardsianthus sp.

Burrowing anemone or Worm anemone

 At home in sandy lagoons with the foot disc clinging to stones or corals.

Various colours.

Photo 1 Johnny: Lembeh Strait North - Sulawesi


Edwardsianthus sp.

Burrowing anemone or Worm anemone

 At home in sandy lagoons with the foot disc clinging to stones or corals.

Various colours.

Photo 1 Johnny: Lembeh Strait North - Sulawesi


Entacmaea quadricolor

Bulb-entacle sea anemone, Bubble-tip sea anemone

or Bubbletip anemone

 They have long tentacles, which are expanded like bubbles at the tips and look like dummies.

13 different anemonefish live with them in a community.

If the fish are disturbed, they withdraw into the anemone.

Although they live solitary, they often settle so densely that they

can form veritable lawns in shallow water.

Photo 1 Johnny: El Quesir Egypt


Heteractis aurora

Beaded sea anemone

 The tentacle swellings, which make this species easy to identify,

are strung like pearls on a necklace.

The tentacles stick when touched.

They can be found from the Red Sea to the Pacific.

Photo 1 Johnny: Moalboal Philippines


Isarachnanthus nocturnus

Banded tube-dwelling anemone

 Size: disc 2 - 3 cm, tentacles 2, 5 - 5 cm 

Depth: 3 - 24 m

Outer tentacles are translucent, brown and white banded.

The oral disc and inner tentacles are whitish.

It retracts when exposed to currents or light.

Photos 1 - 2 Astrid: Bonaire Caribbean


Laviactis lucida

Knobby sea anemone

 Tentacle size: 7.5 - 10 cm

Depth 1 - 30 m

Long, pointed and thin transparent tentacles with cnidocyte-bearing tubercles.

Colour variations of body and tentacles: grey, green, brown.

Body mostly concealed, retracts completely when disturbed.

Nettles.

Photo 1 Johnny: Bonaire Caribbean


Lebrunia coralligens

Hidden anemone

Size: 3 - 7 cm

Depth 1 - 12 m

Long pseudotentacles with dark, slightly thickened,

sometimes double tips protruding from crevices.

Colour variations: Dark grey, brownish green with shaded ringlets and lines.

Withdraws completely when disturbed.

It only stretches out its true tentacles, which are long and unbranched, at night.

Poisonous, nettles.

Photo 1 Johnny: Bonaire Caribbean


Lebrunia neglecta

Stinging anemone or Branching anemone

 Size: 7 - 25 cm

Depth 1 - 40 m

Thick branched pseudotentacles with conspicuous, cnidocyte-bearing nodules.

Usually dark grey to brown with lighter markings, sometimes blue-green.

It only stretches out its real tentacles, which are long and unbranched, at night.

Poisonous, nettles.

Photo 1 Johnny: Bonaire Caribbean


Macrodactyla doreensis

Corkscrew tentacle sea anemone, Long-tentacle anemone,

Corkscrew tentacle anemone or Snaky anemone

 Maximum size: 50 cm

Various colours, such as purple, pink, green, beige and brown.

Found on sandy bottoms near coral reefs.

When danger threatens, it retreats into the sand.

Photo 1 Johnny: Bangka Island North Sulawesi


Nemanthus annamensis

Zebra striped gorgonian wrapper

 Maximum size: 5 cm

Some coral species are overgrown by it.

It has 120 - 130 tentacles, the inner ones being longer than the outer ones.

Its tentacles and column are white,

orange or yellowish in colour and painted with dark spots,

blotches and stripes.

Photo 1 Johnny: Bangka Island North Sulawesi


Parazoanthus swiftii

Golden zoanthid

 Maximum size: 0.6 cm

Maximum depth: 8 - 40 metres

It lives symbiotically on various sponges, often wrapping itself around the sponge.

Photos 1 - 2 Johnny: Bonaire Caribbean


Pseudocorynactis caribbeorum

Orange ball corallimorph

 Maximum size: disc 2.5 - 5 cm

Depth: 6 - 24 m

The body and the spherical tips on the transparent tentacles are bright orange,

rarely also white to pale yellow.

Active at night, retracts when disturbed or illuminated,

Photo 1 Johnny: Bonaire Caribbean


Radianthus crispa

Leathery sea anemone or Sebae anemone

 Diameter: 30 cm

Depth: 1 - 5 m

Leathery stem with relatively few, about 15 cm long bluish, pink to light purple tentacles.

They are often found buried in the sand or in crevices in shallow lagoons and outer reefs.

Often a host for Red Sea anemonefish and Periclimenes shrimps.

Photos 1 - 2 Johnny: El Qesir Egypt


Radianthus magnifica

Colored long tentacle anemone

 They like to settle where moderate to strong currents prevail.

Under favourable site conditions, they can reach a diameter of 60 cm.

Their broad foot disc, which bears suction warts,

adheres very firmly to the substrate and it is almost impossible to detach it.

Photo 1 Johnny: Hurghada Egypt

Photos 2 - 3 Johnny: Bangka Island North Sulawei

Photo 4 Johnny: Embudu Maldives


Stichodactyla haddoni

Haddon's sea anemone

 Maximum diameter 75 cm

Depth: 4 - 40 m

Found singly in crevices, among coral rubble and on various soft bottoms.

They are among the largest reef anemones in the Red Sea and the Indo-Pacific.

If you touch the tentacles, they stick to your hand,

but are neither dangerous nor painful to human skin.

Six different anemone fishes use them as wits anemones,

and you often see more than one species on the same anemone.

Photo 1 Johnny: Hurghada Egypt


Stichodactyla mertensii

Merten's anemone

 It can reach a diameter of over one metre, with short tentacles of varying lengths,

but all have the same diameter and end bluntly or pointedly.

Up to twelve different clownfish live in their company.

Photo 1 Johnny: Embudu Maldives