sea anemones text index | photo index
Phylum Cnidaria > Class Anthozoa > Subclass Zoantharia/Hexacorallia > Order Actiniaria
Fire anemone
Actinodendron sp.
Family Actinodendronidae
updated Aug 2023
Where seen? This large anemone is often seen among seagrasses and in sandy areas near reefs on our Southern shores. They are not as abudant as other large anemones in similar areas. Usually only one or a handful, spread widely apart from one another, are seen in a large area.

Features: Diameter with tentacles expanded 15-20cm. About 40 fat, fleshy cylindrical tentacles with a thick base. Tentacles studded with clusters of 'branches' with oval tips. The oral disk has white stripes with small dark spots, radiating from the mouth. Body column plain, smooth with regular ridges along the length. Colours range from brown, purple, blue, yellow, green. The animal can retract rapidly and completely into the ground when disturbed.


Sometimes mistaken for a flowery soft coral (Family Nephtheidae). While the soft corals don't sting, fire anemones do!

Fiery Stinger: The common name comes from its powerful and nasty sting

How to stay safe: Do not touch the sea anemone.

Fiery friends: Usually, we don't see symbiotic animals living in a Fire anemone. But once, a Peacock-tail anemone shrimp (Periclimenes brevicarpalis) was seen in a Fire anemone.

Pulau Semakau, Oct 11

Oral disk with white stripes and dark spots.


Tanah Merah, Aug 09

Regular ridges on body column.

Terumbu Raya, Feb 09

Tentacles with oval shaped tips.

Pulau Semakau, Sep 09
A small one about 10cm in total diameter


East Coast PCN, Aug 2023


Fire anemones on Singapore shores
On wildsingapore flickr

Other sightings on Singapore shores


Sentosa Serapong, May 14
Photo shared by Loh Kok Sheng on flickr.

St John's Island, Jan 20
Photo shared by Loh Kok Sheng on facebook..

This one seen near coral.
Terumbu Semakau, Jul 16

Photo shared by Loh Kok Sheng on facebook.


Pulau Hantu, May 19
Photos shared by Marcus Ng on facebook.

Pulau Hantu, Oct 14
Photos shared by Loh Kok Sheng on flickr.

Pulau Hantu, Jul 10
Photos shared by Loh Kok Sheng on his blog.


Pulau Semakau, Feb 08

Photos shared by Toh Chay Hoon on her flickr.


Pulau Semakau, Aug 11
Photo shared by Lok Kok Sheng on his blog.

Terumbu Raya, Mar 09
Shared by Loh Kok Sheng on his blog.

Terumbu Raya, Jun 22
Shared by James Koh on facebook.


Terumbu Semakau, Dec 15
Photos shared by Loh Kok Sheng on his blog.
Terumbu Bemban, Apr 16
Photo shared by Richard Lim on facebook.


Beting Bemban Besar, Apr 10
Photo shared by James Koh on his blog.

Beting Bemban Besar, May 10
Photo shared by Neo Mei Lin on her blog.

Beting Bemban Besar, Mar 12


Terumbu Pempang Tengah, May 21
Photo shared by James Koh on flickr.

Pulau Berkas, May 10
Photo shared by Loh Kok Sheng on his flickr.
 

Taken at Pulau Hantu in 2009

Hell's Fire Anemone snacking on fishes from Loh Kok Sheng on Vimeo.


Links

References

  • Daphne Gail Fautin, S. H. Tan and Ria Tan. Dec 2009. Sea anemones (Cnidaria: Actiniaria) of Singapore: abundant and well-known shallow-water species. The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology. Pp. 121-143.
  • Erhardt, Harry and Daniel Knop. 2005. Corals: Indo-Pacific Field Guide IKAN-Unterwasserachiv, Frankfurt. 305 pp.
  • Gosliner, Terrence M., David W. Behrens and Gary C. Williams. 1996. Coral Reef Animals of the Indo-Pacific: Animal life from Africa to Hawaii exclusive of the vertebrates Sea Challengers. 314pp.
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