Golden anemone
Microlipophrys canevae
Special features
For us humans, their pattern has almost a slightly hypnotic effect.
However, it is not really possible to determine whether it has the same effect on their prey.
Appearance
It likes to bury itself deep in sediment so that only its purple mouth and greyish tentacles with purple tips are visible.
The tentacles can be 30cm long and with a mouthpiece diameter of 12cm.
By the way, the color of their tentacles depends on the amount of symbiotic algae.
This means that it is darker in shallow, algae-rich water than in deeper, algae-poor water, where it tends to be lighter.
Natural enemies
None
Dangerous/Venomous
Around her purple mouth she has numerous venomous thread capsules, which she uses to catch food.
Sketch
1. Mouth opening
2. Tentacles with dark ends
Pro tips
Somewhat she functions as a Shrimp Hotel: Their tentacles offer the perfect retreat for shrimps (particularly common: Periclimenes scriptus).
Interestingly enough, these shrimps have no natural protection against the anemone's venomous capsules; they develop it with time.
They have to interact with the anemone so often that it no longer regards them as something foreign or as food but as a friendly roommate.
Once a shrimp has achieved this, he can easily make himself comfortable on the anemone. However, if he moves away from her for a longer period and then wants to get back into her tentacle crown, then he has to go through the whole process again.
Text: Carolina Leiter
Illustration: Dive Dict
Pic: Felician Hosp
