Starburst Anemone
Anthopleura sola
Description 3
A. sola is a solitary anemone that averages 12 cm but can grow up to 25 cm wide, much larger than A. elegantissima. The column is pale green to white in color and is twice as long as its width when extended. The column has numerous sticky protuberances (verrucae) arranged in vertical rows to which gravel and shell fragments adhere. The oral disc is radially striped and has five rings of thick, pointed feeding tentacles. Tentacles are pale with the tips colored in pink, blue or lavender.
A. sola can be differentiated from A. elagantissima by its larger size and usual solitary form. It is differentiated from Anthopleura xanthogrammica by the coloration of the tentacle tips, striped oral disk, and vertical rows of verrucae.
Sources and Credits
- (c) Ed Bierman, some rights reserved (CC BY), http://www.flickr.com/photos/26216388@N02/3362022484
- (c) Liam O'Brien, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Liam O'Brien
- (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starburst_Anemone
