Name: White-spotted rose anemone
Scientific Name: Urticina lofotensis
Family: Actiniidae
Group: Anemones, corals and jellyfish
Class: Invertebrates
Size: 26-50 cm.
The most striking feature in this species is its soft, bright red, column with white specs. In English, it is sometimes referred to as the "strawberry anemone", due to its bright reddish colour. Red anemones have a singular relationship with Oxylebius pictus, a small fish species that seeks refuge amongst its tentacles when it is young. This does not really qualify as a symbiotic relationship since none of the two species benefits clearly from it and there seems to be no dependency on it for their survival.
Photo by:
J. Trone (bio.classes.ucsc.edu)
Oceanário Location
Temperate Pacific
