Red Sea Anemone or Kōtore / Kōtoretore
Actinia tenebrosa
Description 2
Perhaps the most common species of sea anemone found around New Zealand, seen as a distinctive red blob on rocks at low tide .
Habitat
It is found relatively high on the seashore, in rock pools, and various cracks and shaded surfaces such as under rock overhangs in the intertidal zone.
Pedal disc
Column
Smooth, deep brown/red column, seen as a red hemispherical blob of jelly at low tide. 30 to 40mm high. May also be a deep black/green colour. A circle of 24 light blue spherules (acrorhagi) around the inner edge of the column, but not normally visible.
Oral disc
Flat deep brown/red disc . 30 to 40mm diameter.
Tentacles
Up to 144 bright red tentacles, about 15mm long.
Distribution
Throughout NZ.
References 2
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Actinia_tenebrosa
- http://www.gbri.org.au/Species/Actiniatenebrosa.aspx
- http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/4731/red-sea-anemone
- http://australianmuseum.net.au/waratah-anemone
- https://shapeandtheidea.wordpress.com/2015/10/26/red-warratah-anemone/
- http://www.marinelife.ac.nz/species/694
- http://www.rodmorris.co.nz/search#q=Actinia+tenebrosa
- NZ Coastal Marine Invertebrates Vol 1 by Steve de C. Cook, p152, 153
- The New Zealand Sea Shore John Morton and Michael Miller, 1968, plate 6 & p101-2
Synonyms:
- Isactinia tenebrosa
Sources and Credits
- (c) Tony Wills, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Tony Wills
- (c) Tony Wills, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
