sea anemones text index | photo index
Phylum Cnidaria > Class Anthozoa > Subclass Zoantharia/Hexacorallia > Order Actiniaria
Alicia anemone
Alicia sp.
Family Aliciidae
updated Nov 2019
Where seen? This strange anemone is sometimes seen on some of our shores, among seagrasses, rubble and reefs. Usually only one is seen.

Features: Those seen were 2-10cm. Out of water, it is just a blob. But when submerged, it expands into a beautiful animal. It has long elegant translucent tentacles emerging from a long translucent body column. The tentacles are dotted with small bumps which are probably batteries of stingers. The body column is studded with clusters of large colourful bumps that look like cauliflowers. These are probably also batteries of stingers.

Powerful Stinger: Some Alicia anemones have a powerful and nasty sting.

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

Sometimes mistaken for cerianthids when their tentacles are expanded. Unlike Alicia anemones, cerianthids live in a tube and don't have bumps on their body column. When retracted, may also resemble some kinds of corallimorphs, which tend to occur in clusters of many individuals while Alicia anemones are usually found alone.

Terumbu Semakau, Nov 12
Terumbu Semakau, Nov 12

Terumbu Semakau, Nov 12

Terumbu Semakau, Nov 12

*Species are difficult to positively identify without close examination.
On this website, they are grouped by external features for convenience of display.

Alicia anemones on Singapore shores
On wildsingapore flickr

Other sightings on Singapore shores


Changi, Jul 12

Photo shared by Loh Kok Sheng on flickr.

Changi (4), Jun 21
Photos shared by Vincent Choo on facebook.


Changi, Jun 09

Changi, Jun 09
Photos shared by James Koh on his blog.

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


Sentosa Serapong, May 12
Photo shared by Loh Kok Sheng on flickr.


Terumbu Semakau, Nov 12
Photo shared by Loh Kok Sheng on flickr.

Terumbu Semakau, Apr 13
Photo shared by Loh Kok Sheng on flickr.

Terumbu Raya, Aug 14
Photo shared by Loh Kok Sheng on flickr.


This is what it looked like when we first saw it.
Cyrene Reef, May 08

What it looked like after it relaxed in a tank.

Cyrene Reef, May 08
Photo shared by Tan Sijie on his blog.

Pulau Hantu, May 19
Photo shared by Jianlin Liu on facebook.


Terumbu Pempang Tengah, May 11

Photo shared by Liana Tang on facebook.

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