sea anemones text index | photo index
Phylum Cnidaria > Class Anthozoa > Subclass Zoantharia/Hexacorallia > Order Actiniaria
Haeckel's anemone
Actinostephanus haeckeli
Family Actinodendronidae
updated Feb 2020
Where seen? This bizarre and scary-looking anemone is sometimes seen on our shores in sand near reefs. Usually, only one is seen in a large area. It can retract completely into the sand at low tide.

Features: 10-20cm in diameter. It has about 12 long fat cylindrical tentacles that taper at the tips, and below these, another ring of much shorter, slimmer tentacles. With body column short, smooth, with regular stripes. The tentacles are studded with large striped cones that look like batteries of stingers.

Some have tentacles and oral disk that are a uniform dark brown to black with body column that may be similar to the oral disk colour or brick to bright orange-red. These fading to pale at the base of the body column. Others have tentacles are paler with greenish tints, these have fine radiating lines on the oral disk. With olive green body column.

Sinister Stinger: As its sinister appearance suggests, it has a powerful and nasty sting.

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

Pulau Hantu, May 09

Tanah Merah, Oct 09

Small fishes caught in the tentacles.


Pulau Sekudu, Jun 12

A ring of slimmer shorter tentacles below the long ones, Body column smooth with stripes.

Conical bumps on tentacles - battery of stingers?
Beting Bronok, Aug 15



Beting Bronok, Jun 12

Haeckel's anemones on Singapore shores
On wildsingapore flickr

Other sightings on Singapore shores


Pasir Ris Park-Loyang, Jan 20
Photo shared by Eugene Tan on facebook.

With a crab hiding under it.
Pasir Ris Park-Loyang, Oct 20
Photo shared by Richard Kuah on facebook.


Pulau Sekudu, Jun 12

Chek Jawa, Jun 23
Photo shared by Loh Kok Sheng on facebook.

Changi Lost Coast, Jun 22
Photo shared by Loh Kok Sheng on facebook.


Beting Bronok, Jun 10
Photo shared by Loh Kok Sheng on his blog.

Beting Bronok, May 11
Photo shared by James Koh on his blog

Beting Bronok, Jul 20
Photo shared by Vincent Choo on facebook.


Tanah Merah, Aug 09
Photo shared by Loh Kok Sheng on his blog.

Seringat-Kias, Jan 17
Photo shared by Loh Kok Sheng on his blog.



Kusu Island, May 22
Photos shared by Richard Kuah on facebook.

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

Pulau Hantu, Aug 14
Photos shared by Marcus Ng on flickr.


Pulau Hantu, Apr 09
Photo shared by Toh Chay Hoon on her blog.

Pulau Hantu, Apr 09
Photo shared by Toh Chay Hoon on her blog.


Terumbu Semakau, Dec 11

Terumbu Bemban, Jun 15
Photo shared by Neo Mei Lin on her blog.

Terumbu Raya, Feb 09
Photos shared by Steven von Peltz.

strange anemone @ terumbu raya 09Feb2009 from SgBeachBum on Vimeo.


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