Hello Ocean Lovers!

This underwater photo was taken by Terry Lilley with Sue Sloan doing the lighting

According to www.montereybayaquarium.org

• Living on rocks in tide pools and crevices from Alaska to Baja California in the intertidal zone to about 60 feet, these elegant flowerlike animals, have a tube-shaped body crowned with tentacles, and are about 2-4 inches in diameter.
• Two types of microscopic algae live in the anemones' tissues and give them their green color—anemones without algae are white. The algae supply food to the anemones, and the anemones bend toward or away from the light to provide the algae with the proper amount of light needed for photosynthesis.
• Anemones are voracious feeders that eat almost anything. Stinging cells (nematocysts) on their tentacles paralyze small prey animals. Anemones can even ingest small crabs and then spew out the shells.
• Anemones exposed to air retract their tentacles and shrink in size. Sticky bumps on their bodies collect sand and bits of shells, which provide camouflage and prevent them from drying out.
• If they’re buried by drifting sand, they can survive for more than three months. Oil spills or oil from storm drains, however, can destroy anemone habitats.

If you go tidepooling, be careful not to walk on or disturb anemones or other tide pool creatures.