A solitary anemone from the cold Pacific coast of North America, and it does not belong in a tropical reef tank. One reference gives about 9-18 °C, which means a chilled temperate system, and a warm reef is outside its reported range. It was lumped in with Anthopleura elegantissima until 2000, when it was recognised as a species of its own. It takes small fish as well as invertebrates, so keep small tankmates away from it.
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Solitary anemone with a tentacle crown up to about 25 cm across, averaging about 12 cm.
Lifespan
—
Social needs
solo
Native region
Pacific coast of North America, from Baja California to central and northern California
Origin
New World
Climate
Temperate
Water type
Marine
Family
Actiniidae
Genus
Anthopleura
Part of the Sea Anemones
Stinging, sessile cnidarians ranging from clownfish-hosting giants to nano-sized carpet species. Many are demanding, mobile, and can sting corals or be drawn into pumps — careful placement and rock-stable water are essential.
Not a tropical animal. Keep it only in a chilled temperate tank, at about 9-18 °C (48-64 °F) on the one figure available, which does not come from a field study. In the wild it lives on semi-protected rocky shores, in tide pools and crevices, and down into kelp forest to at least 20 m, from Baja California to central California, with a recent spread north to about Bodega Bay.
A standard reef system is the wrong home for it at every stage.
Substrate
Give it stable rock or gravel with crevices, as it settles on stones and shells as well as rock. It can stretch its column to stay clear of a shallow sand cover.
Equipment & setup
A chiller is essential, sized to hold the tank at temperate temperatures through warm weather. Add a thermometer you check daily, moderate flow and good oxygenation.
Diet
Its reliance on light is not well documented. It carries the symbiotic alga Breviolum muscatinei, but the sources checked do not say how much of its energy this supplies or how much light a captive animal needs. It also hunts, taking small crustaceans, fish larvae, small fish and other animals. Give it light and small meaty foods such as chopped fish or shrimp. No source gives a captive feeding schedule.
Behavior & temperament
It lives alone and does not divide, unlike the clone-forming A. elegantissima. The disc is radially striped, with pale tentacle tips in pink, blue or lavender. It defends its space: when it meets a genetically different anemone it extends stinging structures called acrorhagi and can cause tissue death in its rival. Its range has moved north within the past half century, which researchers link to ocean warming.
Health
Not a tropical animal. Its reported temperature range stops well below that of a warm reef tank, so a normal reef system is the wrong home. Heat stress can cause bleaching, which can kill the animal. Fights with other anemones can damage tissue, so keep them apart. It takes small fish as well as invertebrates, so keep small tankmates away from it. Its effect on people is listed as unknown, so wear gloves.
Tips, DIY & hacks
This is not a reef animal. Do not add it to a tropical reef tank, however small it is. Set up a chilled system first and prove it holds temperature before the anemone goes in. Space anemones apart, because it fights those it touches. It takes small fish as well as invertebrates, so keep small tankmates away from it.
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Temperate
Marine