Description
Also known as Hexacoral, Mediterranean Sea Anemone, Opelet Anemone, Wax Rose.
Found singly or in colonies, living symbiotically with algae, in the sunniest of rock pools, over shallow waters of coral and rocky reefs. The algae needs the sun to flourish and the snakelocks needs the algae to survive, otherwise they start to turn a dull grey and die! This sea anemone has some of the longest tentacles compared to other anemones.
They feed on plankton.
Length - 8cm
Depth - 0-20m
Widespread Eastern Atlantic, Mediterranean
This anemone has a symbiotic relationship with Gobius bucchichi - Bucchich's Goby.
http://www.whatsthatfish.com/fish/bucchichs-goby/2552
Sea Anemones are large solitary polyps which have no skeleton. They have a basal or pedal disc which helps them crawl and dig into place, for some, once in place it is virtually impossible to move. Other smaller anemones move around the reef to feed at night.
Most eat plankton, but they are capable of eating anything caught in their stinging tentacles including quite big fish.
The fringing tentacles are configured in six or multiples of six.
Some sea anemones have a symbiotic relationship with sea anemones and some live commensally with various crabs, shrimp and brittle stars. Ref: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snakelocks_anemone
2 comments
Posted by @fishx6I am not an expert but here is a link which may help! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snakelocks_anemone
Posted by Karin DubskyWe found dozens of snakelock anemone floating in warm shallow water or sitting loosely on Laminaria and Sargassum in South County Wexford SAt June 12th Most looked healthy with full tree n and pink tipped colour. Weather has been pretty calm and warm for the last week and water temperature has gone up from 16 to 22 in shallow areas on an incoming tide . Have you got records of snakelocks moving home like that? Have seen plenty of snake locks here before but always well attached