Marine Life‎ > ‎California‎ > ‎Invertebrates‎ > ‎

Anemones A-L

Also see Corals and Gorgonians.  A number of cup corals look like small anemones or groups of anemones.

Actinostella Bradleyi

Actinostella bradleyi

(1: San Carlos Beach, Monterey)

Aggregating Anemone

Anthopleura elegantissima

 
(1-2: Monterey State Beach, Monterey)

Found in shallower water than the green anemone.  Densely packed, and smaller than the green anemone.

These fluoresce under blue light:
(1: Monterey State Beach, Monterey)

Burrowing Anemone

Halcampa decemtentaculata

   
(1-2: San Carlos Beach, Monterey / 3-4: Whaler's Cove, Point Lobos)

Its scientific name means "ten-tentacled".

Club-Tipped Anemone

(aka Strawberry Anemone)

Corynactis californica

       
(1-5,7: Monterey State Beach, Monterey / 6: Lovers Cove, Monterey / 8: San Carlos Beach, Monterey)

Body color varies from pink to orange.

The little lumps on the sides of their tentacles are bunches of nematocysts, the stinging cells anemones use to catch prey:
(1: San Carlos Beach, Monterey)

Sometimes there will be different colonies next to each other:
 
(1: Monterey State Beach, Monterey / 2: Sea Landing Cove, Santa Barbara Island)

These fluoresce in a wide variety of colors under blue light:
       
(1-5: Monterey State Beach, Monterey / 6-8: San Carlos Beach, Monterey)

Cryptic Burrowing Anemone

Halcampa crypta

     
(1,3-5: Monterey State Beach, Monterey / 2: Whaler's Cove, Point Lobos)

Fish-Eating Urticina

Urticina piscivora

       
(1-4,6-7: Whaler's Cove, Point Lobos / 5: San Carlos Beach, Monterey / 8: Monastery Beach, Carmel-by-the-Sea)

The tentacles can vary from white to orange to red in color; the stalk is smooth and red.

This one is pulled back in:
(1: San Carlos Beach, Monterey)

Close up of tubercles on side of stalk:
(1: San Carlos Beach, Monterey)

Close up of center:
(1: San Carlos Beach, Monterey)

Ghost Anemone

Diadumene leucolena

(1: San Carlos Beach, Monterey)

Giant Green Anemone

Anthopleura xanthogrammica

       
(1,4: Whaler's Cove, Point Lobos / 2,5-6: San Carlos Beach, Monterey / 3,8: Monterey State Beach, Monterey / 7: Monastery Beach, Carmel-By-The-Sea)

These fluoresce under blue light:
(1: Monterey State Beach, Monterey)

Green Anemone

Anthopleura sola

       
(1-2,8: San Carlos Beach, Monterey / 3-6: Monterey State Beach, Monterey / 7: Sea Landing Cove, Santa Barbara Island)

The tentacles can sometimes have pink tips.  These are solitary, like the giant green anemone, but unlike the aggregating anemone.

Most of the anemone is below the surface. They attach to rocks under the sand:

 
(1-2: Lovers Point, Monterey)

These glow brilliantly under blue or UV light:
    
(1-5: Monterey State Beach, Monterey)