Anthopleura xanthogrammica
| Anthopleura xanthogrammica | |
|---|---|
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| Anthopleura xanthogrammica | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Cnidaria |
| Class: | Anthozoa |
| Subclass: | Hexacorallia |
| Order: | Actiniaria |
| Suborder: | Nyantheae |
| Infraorder: | Thenaria |
| Family: | Actiniidae |
| Genus: | Anthopleura |
| Species: | A. xanthogrammica |
| Binomial name | |
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Anthopleura xanthogrammica (Brandt, 1835) |
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Anthopleura xanthogrammica, or the giant green anemone, is a species of intertidal sea anemone of the family Actiniidae.
Other common names for this anemone include green surf anemone, giant green sea anemone, green anemone, giant tidepool anemone, anemone, and rough anemone.
The column width and height can reach a maximum of 17.5 and 30 cm, respectively. The crown of tentacles can be as wide as 25 cm in diameter, while the column, itself, tends to be widest at the base in order to offer a more stable connection to the rocks.
It has a broad, flat oral disk surface and no striping, banding, or other markings.
If A. xanthogrammica is exposed to proper amounts of sunlight, it can appear bright green when submerged under water.
When not submerged, it appears dark green or brown. This is because the anemone tends to close up and "droop" and its now exposed column is actually dark green and slightly brown, but the hidden tentacles and oral disk are bright green.
The tentacles, which are short and conical, are arranged in six or more rows surrounding the oral disk and can be pointed or blunt at the tips.
Generally, A. xanthogrammica is found along the low to mid intertidal zones of the Pacific Ocean, from Alaska to southern California and sometimes downwards to Panama, where cold water swells can occur.
A. xanthogrammica prefers to inhabit sandy or rocky shorelines, where water remains for most of the day. They can generally be found in tide pools up to 15 m deep. Occasionally A. xanthogrammica can also be found in deep channels of more exposed rocky shores and concrete pilings in bays and harbors.
Photosynthetic algae, zoochlorellae, and the dinoflagellates, zooxanthellae, live in the epidermis and tissue of the gut of A. xanthogrammica. In this symbiotic relationship, the zoochlorellae and zooxanthellae provide nutrients to the anemone via photosynthesis and contribute to the bright green color of the anemone's oral disk and tentacles. The bright green color is also due to pigmentation.
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Wikipedia