Wandering sea anemone or Hūmenga (Sea Anemones of New Zealand)

Wandering sea anemone or Hūmenga

Phlyctenactis tuberculosa

Description ⁷

Most anemones can move, but this one is very mobile crawling or drifting to new locations. Tends to be active at night, and rolled up into a ball during the day.
Habitat
Among seaweeds and sub tidal reefs.

Pedal disc
Well developed, orange with a wavy margin.

Column
Comes in many different colours from blue/grey to yellowish, browny orange, brown, mauve, dark purple/blue. Up to about 200mm long.

Oral disc
Flat, pale yellow up to 100mm diameter.

Tentacles
Numerous tentacles up to 25mm, arranged in 6 whorls. Pale yellow, fawn, or orange.

Distribution
Through out NZ.

Edited version of Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New Zealand 1868-1961, Volume 41, 1908, p374
Art. XXXVI.—A Review of the New Zealand Actiniaria known to Science, together with a Description of Twelve New Species.
By F. G. A. Stuckey, M.A., Wellington :

Pedal-disc.—Lobed, wider than the column. Only slightly adherent, the animal being able to “crawl” about on it, and to become free and float away at will. The colour of the pedal-disc is yellowish-orange.

Column.—Cylindrical in form, and covered with large blisterlike vesicles, which in the contracted state of the animal lie in contact, but in expansion are separate. Their longitudinal arrangement is not evident, except when the animal is expanded. They appear to assist in the flotation of the animal. The colour of the column is dark velvety brown.

Tentacles.—Very numerous and crowded, in about six cycles. They are simple, and conical in shape. Their colour is pale yellow.

Oral Disc.—The disc is flat, with the mouth on a large mound-shaped peristome. The colour of the disc is light yellow, that of the peristome very dark brown or black. The mouth bears two bright-yellow tubercles.

Habits.—This anemone frequents quiet pools among the rocks, but is sometimes seen floating at the surface, oral disc downwards. Rather uncommon.

Dimensions.—Fully expanded the animal is 18 cm. in height and 10 cm. in diameter.

Distribution.—Of the genus—New Zealand. Of the species—Cook Strait.