Branching Fire Anemone

Found with its main body buried in the substrate, over soft mud and sandy areas of sheltered coral and rocky reefs. These anemones can give a very nasty sting hence the name.

No Clownfish naturally associated with this anemone although some Periclimenes shrimps are found with this anemone.

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.