Name: Plumose anemone
Scientific Name: Metridium senile (Linnaeus)
Family: Metridiidae
Group: Anemones, corals and jellyfish
Class: Invertebrates
Size: 26-50 cm.
Made of a slim column and a crown of around 1000 tentacles that give it a feathery aspect, the plumose anemone gather frequently in groups that form large prairies. In these groups, every individual descends from the same one and are formed by asexual reproduction, for this reason being clones. They can also breed through sexual means, but they only do so when they intend to form a new colony elsewhere. Their colouring may vary from white to orange and brown, the tentacles that form the plumose crown always lighter than the base. They capture small planktonic organisms, and they have been observed feeding on moon medusas.
Photo by:
Abílio Leitão
Invertebrates
