ANIMAL: Giant Green Anemone Anthopleura xanthogrammica Type of Animal: Sea Anemone Habitat: Rocky areas, rocky shores/shorelines, rocks in deep channels, concrete pilings in bays/harbors, tide pools, intertidal/subtidal zones, concrete pilings in coldwater areas w/ high wave activity, mussel beds, sandy shorelines, surge channels, high-energy surf-swept shores, shaded vertical rock walls in cold waters, bays near rocky shores, kelp forest, can be found as deep as 98.5 ft Location(s): Found from S Alaska to Panama Appearance: Green w/ broad flat oral disk surface, short conical tentacles, very large anemone, white or blue in areas w/ less sunlight/algal growth Food/Diet: Mussels, crabs, sea urchins, fish, shrimp, krill, ochre/purple sea stars, snails, barnacles, jellyfish, gull chicks, cormorant chicks. Planktonic larvae eat zooplankton (including other larvae). Status in Wild: Stable Lifestyle: Solitary or colonies of 6-14 animals Additional Info: Called: Male Female Young: Planula Group: Colony Diameter: 6.5-6.8 in Gestation: 3 days Life Span: 80-300 years Height: 11 in Width: 11 in Main predators are grey sea slugs, shaggy mouse nudibranchs, sea snails (though they commonly eat snails), sea spiders, crabs (though these anemones commonly eat crabs), sea stars, & some fish. Unlike many anemones, this species only reproduces sexually. They release eggs/sperm in late spring-summer, producing pelagic planktonic larvae. Larvae 1st settle at around 3 weeks old, most often in rocky areas or mussel beds. Once they attach to substrate, they slowly develop pedal disks. Sexual maturity reached at 5 years old. Females release thousands of eggs at a time & do so a few times within short period. Stinging cells (cnidocytes) used in capturing prey as well as in defense. Larger greener anemones found in areas w/ more sunlight due to more green algal growth. These algae provide nourishment for anemone in form of sunlight. Also called Green Surf Anemone, Giant Green Sea Anemone, Giant Tidepool Anemone, Green Anemone, Rough Anemone, & Giant Green Pacific Sea Anemone. Colonies fight fiercely over space sometimes killing each other w/ stinging tentacles. Fun Fact(s): Some fish develop resistance to stings by covering themselves w/ anemone mucus. Whatever animal parts these animals can’t digest expelled from orifice acting as simultaneous mouth/anus. These animals should not be touched due to stinging tentacles. Stings usually sticky but sometimes painful. A compound from these animals is used as beneficial heart stimulant for people. If they can, they’ll stay in the same place for their whole life, which can be more than 200 years.
