White Anemone

Common Name: White Anemone

Scientific Name: Metridium dianthus

Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family: Animalia, Cnidaria, Anthozoa, Actiniaria, Metridiidae

Diet: Small zooplankton, small polychaetes, fish and squid

Habitat: Rocks, shells, floating docks, pilings, bays

Range: Alaska to California, New Jersey to Labrador in Atlantic coast

Identification: White/salmon column and numerous tentacles, wider oral disk than column

Reproduction: Asexual (splits into two) or Broadcast spawning (discharge fertile sperm and eggs into water), eggs are pink

Behavior: If attacked may detach from rocks and drift away to a new location