Species group · Anthozoans

Anemones

WAnimals has 3 species of anemone, spread across 3 families (Actiniidae, Discosomatidae, Stichodactylidae).

3 species
3 families
61 countries
35 parks
Length
3 cm – 1 m
Lifespan
60 – 100 years

Ranges calculated from the entries that record the figure, not from all 3.

All 3 species of anemones on WAnimals

Each one has its own full entry. This group does not replace them: it brings them together.

Conservation status

3 Not Evaluated

No species documented in this group is genuinely at risk according to the IUCN, with the data available today.

See the global conservation status

Where they live

Recorded in 61 countries. The ones with the most species in the group:

Where to see them

Did you know…

  • It eats small invertebrates and young fish, along with nutrients produced by symbiotic zooxanthellae.

    From Ritteri Anemone

  • It resists cellular ageing remarkably well, with documented individuals over 60 to 80 years old.

    From Ritteri Anemone

  • It is the second largest anemone in the world, with an oral disc up to a metre across in exceptional specimens.

    From Ritteri Anemone

  • It hosts clownfish that shelter among its tentacles: the fish acquires a coating on its mucus that stops the anemone recognising it as prey, and in return it defends the anemone from the butterflyfish that nibble at it.

    From Giant Anemone

  • Its sting is among the most powerful of any anemone and can inflict painful burns on a diver.

    From Giant Anemone

  • It contracts until it disappears into the sand when it feels threatened, leaving only a hole in the bottom.

    From Giant Anemone

  • It is, in essence, a coral that has lost its skeleton: its anatomy is that of a coral polyp, but its body is entirely soft.

    From Disc Anemone

  • It can move very slowly and multiply by division, covering large areas of the reef.

    From Disc Anemone

Ecosystems

See every species group · Explore the species one by one