Brooding Anemone in Puget Sound

1. Brooding Anemonein Puget Sound Common name: Fernald Brooding Anemone and Giant Brooding Anemone Scientific name: EpiactisLisbethal

2. What the Anemone looks like • Small species: the height of an expanded specimen does not often exceed about 3cm • The basic color is brown to greenish brown, but it is sometimes red, pinkish red or dull green.

3. What it eats small fish crustaceans shrimp

4. How it eats • The brooding anemones capture its prey with its deadly stinging tentacles • Its mouth and tentacles are located on the top of its body • Stalk tentacles have cells • When the cell is stimulated either physically or chemically, it shoots poison that paralyzes prey.

5. How it produces • Can produce sexually or asexually • In sexual reproduction male and female gametes (sperm and egg) are released into the sea, where fertilization takes place. Some species have separate sexes and some are hermaphrodite. • In asexual reproduction only one individual is involved and there is no fertilization. Ways such as budding, binary fission, and pedal laceration

6. Size • Brooding Anemones are small species. The height of the expanded sea creature does not often exceed about 3cm. • Rarely can come close to 5cm.

7. Habitat • Brooding anemones are regularly found on the leaves of eelgrass. Red or pinkish red specimens are sometimes found on rocky shores, but rare on eelgrass.

8. Interesting Facts • Tiny anemones growing alongside adults settled there as larvae, and are protected by the parent's tentacles until they mature and move off on their own • Usually spend most of their lives in one place, but some have the ability to move • If they do move, they can only travel three to four inches an hour • Sometimes sea anemones hitch a ride on hermit crabs or decorator crabs • Sea Anemones can pick up bits of food from the crab and eat it