Fireworks anemone

Pachycerianthus multiplicatus

  • Where it lives:

  • Non native species

About

The fireworks anemone is found on muddy seabeds, usually in water between 10 and 130 metres deep. Unlike the more familiar rockpool anemones that attach themselves to rocks, this is a burrowing anemone. It lives within a tube in the seafloor, which can be over a metre long. It has two rings of tentacles - short ones around its mouth, with longer ones around the outside. It can't retract its tentacles like some anemones do, but may coil them up if it's disturbed.

How to identify

A deep water anemone with an elongated body and two rings of tentacles. The inner tentacles are short, stiff and pale brown. The outer tentacles are very long and white, sometimes with brown rings.

Did you know?

There can be up to 200 tentacles in its outer ring.