#bubble tip anemone

[lionfloss]

Red Rainbow Bubble Tip Anemone

[pleistocene-pride]

 The Bubble-tip anemone (Entacmaea quadricolor) is a species of sea anemone in the family Actiniidae which is native to the tropical waters of the Indian and Pacific Oceans being found in particular abundance in the Red Sea. In the wild, E. quadricolor are found in two locations. Large adult specimens, with tentacles that are more streaming or stringy, are often found in deeper waters with more dimly lit conditions. These specimens are often solitary, while smaller, younger specimens are often located in groups or colonies nearer to the surface, in bright sunlight. These specimens tend to show the bulbous tips on their tentacles that are characteristic of E. quadricolor. A characteristic of E. quadricolor is its ability to maintain a symbiotic relationship with anemonefish, anemone shrimp, porcelain crabs, and domino damsels which can be "hosted" by the anemone by providing it with defence against predators and also providing some nourishment. In turn, the anemone provides the fish/ crustacean with shelter. These anemones get the majority of there energy from from solar radiation via its symbiotic zooxanthellae, and can also obtain nutrients by filter feeding using its sweeping tentacles, or through wastes and debris cleaned from the surface of its partner fish/ crustacean. E. quadricolor anemones appear in a variety of colors including rose, orange, red, and green. This sea anemone can grow to be up to nearly a foot in diameter. There breeding season lasts from January to april during such time they broad cast spawn, with each anemone releasing its gametes into the water column to join with others and form free-swimming planula larvae which remain in the open water for up to 59 days before settling down on the sea floor to grow into there adult form. They can also reproduce asexually using longitudinal fission. Under ideal conditions a bubble tip anemone may live several hundred years.

[animalids]

Bubble-tip anemone (Entacmaea quadricolor)

Photo by [wj]

[splashing-water]

[letsgetsalty]

From a grow out tank at the LFS. The big one up front is at least a foot across, biggest RBTA I’ve seen 😍🥵

[happyscales]

Look how cute he is!!

[crochetbabe]

crochet sea anemones!

From top right to bottom right to the left: 

Fish Eating Anemone, Urticina piscivora

Giant Green Anemone, Anthopleura xanthogrammica

Aggregating Anemone, Anthopleura elegantissima 

Watermelon Bubble-Tip Anemone, Entacmaea quadricolor

I’ve seen all of these species while scuba diving in the cold waters near Seattle, Washington except for the Watermelon Bubble-Tip anemone which lives in tropical waters :)  

My Sea Creatures Page on Etsy

[jinx-getmeabetta]

Attempt 2 at keeping bubble tip anemones. Remember that gorgeous acid wash? He somehow managed to crawl into a crevice and get himself stuck and upon exiting the crevice he tore his foot. He died 24 hours after that incident. I had him for 2 days and was devastated when I woke up to find him disintegrating at the bottom of my tank. It’s been some time since then and my husband and I were visiting my home state of MD this weekend. One of my favorite fish shops had this gorgeous rainbow bubble tip priced at $200. We decided to go for it and the shop owner gave him to us for $90........And somehow he ended up in my husband’s tank. Oh well, at least he’s gorgeous and is settling in nicely!