General
There are over 1,000 different species of sea anemone found in coastal waters worldwide, in shallow waters, on coral reefs and even in deep oceans. Sea Anemones are found in both temperate and tropical seas in many different habitats in both high and low currents. Tropical anemones tend to be larger in size than the temperate ones.
Sea anemones are usually found in rock pools and in crevices, under rocks where it stays cool and damp, and on dead coral, in the sand and attached to seawhips and hermit crabs. They try to avoid direct sunlight so when the tide goes out, shallow water anemones retract their tentacles and resemble lumps of jelly attached to the rocks. Sea anemones are thought to be very long lived.
Clownfish live amongst the stinging tentacles of the sea anemone. The clownfish has mucus that covers the fish and protects it from the toxin but the clownfish needs to desensitize itself and then stay near or within the anemone to remain immune. The sea anemone provides protection for the clownfish and get scraps of food when the clownfish feeds.
Symbiotic algae effects the sea anemone colour either by imparting its own golden brown colour onto the anemone, or by stimulating the anemone to produce a pigment that protects the algae against excessive sunlight.The algae have a reliable exposure to sunlight which is maintained by the sea anemone and the anemone benefits from the algae's ability to photosynthesize and produce oxygen and food.
