Sea Anemone

ocean · predator · cnidarian · colorful

Named After Flowers. Sea anemones got their name because their bright colors and tentacles look like the petals of a flowering plant called an anemone. But don't let the pretty appearance fool you, they're actually fierce hunters of the ocean.

Ancient Marine Animals. Sea anemones belong to a group called cnidarians, which also includes jellyfish, corals, and tiny creatures called hydra. They've been living in our oceans for hundreds of millions of years.

Stinging Tentacle Hunters. Sea anemones use their tentacles to catch prey like small fish and shrimp. Each tentacle is covered with special stinging cells that paralyze their food so they can pull it into their mouth.

Stuck in One Spot. Unlike their jellyfish cousins that drift through the water, sea anemones stay attached to rocks or the ocean floor their whole lives. They're like the apartment dwellers of the sea, never moving from home.

Rainbow of Colors. Sea anemones come in almost every color you can imagine, from bright red and orange to purple, green, and white. These colors help them blend in with their surroundings or warn other animals to stay away.