Anatomy Of A Sea Anemone

It is commonly called sea anemone and is a marine commensal which is frequently seen attached to empty gastropod shells in which hermit crabs eupagurus prideauxi live. Sea anemones come in many shapes sizes and colors.

17 Facts You Need To Know About Sea Anemones Before You Add

As a cnidarian the sea anemone is closely related to coral and jellyfish.

Anatomy of a sea anemone. Sea anemone any member of the invertebrate order actiniaria class anthozoa phylum cnidaria soft bodied primarily sedentary marine animals resembling flowers. Sea anemones are a group of marine predatory animals of the order actiniaria. Sea anemones have very simple internal anatomy.

A typical sea anemone is a single polyp atta. Unlike jellyfish sea anemones do not have a medusa stage in their life cycle. The base of the sea anemone is a pedal disc or foot that attaches firmly to solid objects like rocks and coral or anchors it to the sea floor.

As cnidarians sea anemones are related to corals jellyfish tube dwelling anemones and hydra. At the larger end they can be up to two meters in height and possess hundreds of tentacles. In this example of commensalism both sea anemone and hermit crab exhibit physiological treaty.

A close relative of coral and jellyfish anemones are stinging polyps that spend most of their time attached to rocks on the sea bottom or on coral reefs waiting for fish to pass close enough to get ensnared in their venom filled tentacles. At the small end of the spectrum sea anemones can be just four millimeters and may possess as few as 10 tentacles. Radially symmetric they have a columnar body with a single body opening the mouth which is surrounded by tentacles.

They are named after the anemone a terrestrial flowering plant because of the colourful appearance of many. They are studded with microscopic stinging capsules. The tentacles protect the anemone and catch its food.

Sea anemone internal anatomy in this image you will find oral disk mouth tentacles with stinging nematocysts sphincter muscle pharynx complete mesentery gastrovascular cavity ostium collar retractor muscle incomplete mesentery basal disk in it. Other close relations to the sea anemone are the solitary tube dwelling anemones and the hydras. Some anemones have small wart like projections called verrucae that are arranged in rows and are usually a different colour to the anemone.

The ornately colored sea anemone uh nem uh nee is named after the equally flashy terrestrial anemone flower. They are found from the tidal zone of all oceans to depths of more than 10000 metres about 33000 feet. Named after a terrestrial flower the anemone sea anemones form a group of water dwelling filter feeding animals of the order actinaria.

Sea anemones are classified in the phylum cnidaria class anthozoa subclass hexacorallia.

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