Northern red anemone
The northern red anemone, also known as the Dahlia anemone, is a vibrant, soft-bodied marine creature belonging to the phylum Cnidaria and is primarily found in the coastal waters of the North Atlantic and the Baltic Sea. Characterized by its bright red, orange, or pink tentacles, this anemone can grow up to 6 inches (15 centimeters) in width and is notable for its ability to attach securely to the ocean floor using a basal disc. With a depth range extending from mid-tide levels to around 325 feet (108 meters), it often finds refuge in crevices of rocky surfaces or among seaweed.
The northern red anemone is equipped with up to 160 tentacles that contain poisonous cells, enabling it to capture prey such as small crustaceans and fish. These tentacles not only assist in feeding but also serve as a defense mechanism against predators. Interestingly, the anemone can retract its tentacles to protect itself during low tide, preventing desiccation when exposed to air. It reproduces both asexually by dividing or budding and sexually by releasing eggs and sperm into the water, leading to the development of free-swimming larvae. The lifespan of a northern red anemone ranges from 20 to 50 years, making it a long-lived inhabitant of its marine environment.
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Northern red anemone
The northern red anemone is a soft-bodied creature with soft, clear, poisonous tentacles that glow with a red, orange, or pink tint. The poisons on these tentacles are dangerous enough to cause a rash on sensitive parts of humans. It is also called the Dahlia anemone.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Cnidaria
Class: Hexacorallia
Order: Actiniaria
Family: Actiniidae
Genus: Urticina
Species: Felina
The northern red anemone gets its name from its geographical location and appearance. This bright creature's soft, red body with red-tinted tentacles is found along the ocean floor in the coastal waters of the North Atlantic and the Baltic Sea. It is generally found from the mid-tidemark down to depths of about 325 feet (108 meters).
Like other sea anemones, the northern red anemone attaches itself to the seabed with its basal disc. This disc, which acts as a suction cup, keeps the anemone securely positioned. The northern red anemone generally attaches itself to a crevice on a rocky surface or in an area with much seaweed.
Growing to a width of up to 6 inches (15 centimeters), the northern red anemone is one of the largest anemones in the North Atlantic. Its main body part, or column, which extends from its basal disc to its tentacles, is usually red, but may sometimes appear grayish blue or green. This column is dotted with several sticky, gray bumps. Sand and gravel stick to these wart-like bumps and help camouflage the anemone. At the top of the column are the anemone's tentacles. A single northern red anemone has up to 160 tentacles of around 3/4 inch (2 centimeters) arranged in rings around the central opening to its body cavity. These tentacles, coated with poisonous cells, spring out to attack prey and protect the anemone from predators.
The body cavity within the column holds the anemone's internal organs. This is where food is digested and reproductive cells are produced. The central opening acts as the mouth and anus of the anemone. For protection, the northern red anemone can retract its tentacles down within the body cavity. This method is useful when the anemone is attached to a place in the tidal zone. As the tide goes out, the anemone is exposed to the air. It retracts its tentacles to avoid drying. When the tide returns, the anemone is again safe beneath the water.
Like other anemones, the northern red anemone is carnivorous, or meat-eating. The northern red anemone feeds on small crustaceans and small fish. It catches its prey by stinging with its tentacles and pulling the prey into its mouth. The tentacles kill the prey by firing tiny cells called nematocysts into the prey's body. The tips of the nematocysts are covered with poisons that paralyze the prey. These cells are similar to poison-tipped arrows.
The northern red anemone may reproduce by asexual or sexual reproduction. In asexual, or independent, reproduction a single northern red anemone divides itself or creates buds that break off and become new organisms. In sexual reproduction, the northern red anemone releases eggs and sperm into the water. These meet and produce free-swimming anemone larvae. These larvae then plant themselves on the ocean floor and mature into full-grown anemones.
The life span of the northern red anemone is 20 to 50 years.
Bibliography
"Dahlia anemone." The Wildlife Trusts, www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife-explorer/marine/anemones-and-corals/dahlia-anemone. Accessed 1 May 2024.
"Northern Red Sea Anemone." Memorial University of Newfoundland, 18 Aug. 2021, www.mun.ca/osc/community/northern-red-sea-anemone. Accessed 1 May 2024.
Schommer, Maija. "Urticina Felina." Animal Diversity Web, nanimaldiversity.org/accounts/Urticina‗felina. Accessed 1 May 2024.