Swimming Anemone

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SWIMMING ANEMONE

BY MATIAS TOTZ

        A common question I receive at the Shaw Ocean Discovery Aquarium is if anemone can move fast? I am a trained professional so instead of laughing and shouting, “ DOES IT LOOK LIKE IT CAN MOVE FAST???!” I tell them that most anemones don’t really move or they move at a rather slow pace, however, there is one species of anemone that can move very fast compared to another anemone. The Swimming Anemone has a unique talent and by looking at its name you can already tell that it possesses either an underwater jetpack, a magical power, or the ability to unattach its base and flex its body to swim. If you have also seen the new Harry Potter movie like I have, you might want to know where to find this magical beast. Swimming Anemones are usually found in seagrass areas, and usually in large groups of around ten to twenty, or occasionally, all by themselves. They grow to be around 5-8 cm in diameter, with their tentacles around 3-4 cm long. This species of anemone has around 400 crustacean-grabbing tentacles, which is far more than your normal anemone.   Its scientific name is Stomphia Didemon, and Stomphia is Greek for “saucer mouth.” I hope you had fun reading this blog about Swimming Anemone!

Sources: http://www.centralcoastbiodiversity.org/swimming-anemone-bull-stromphia-didemon.html