Flower of the Tide Pool
by Briana Sandoval, Sharon Pegany
Aggregating anemones are commonly found at low tide around the Salish Sea, particularly in areas with large hard surfaces, such as large rocks or abandoned structures.
It’s a warm, late summer afternoon and the tide is low. Shoreline boulders, tide pools and dripping piers are quilted with dark sea green splotches glistening with slime. Unlike any known land species, are these peculiar globs a type of marine plant or fungus? Are they mysterious creatures of the sea? Or better yet…are they some curious combination of both plant and animal?
At first glance, this low tide phenomenon could be a marine version of sprawling ground cover. But with a little investigating, it is easy to identify this creature as the aggregated anemone (Anthopleura elegantissima), a common tide pool animal found plastered along the tidal shores throughout the Salish Sea.
At first glance, this low tide phenomenon could be a marine version of sprawling ground cover. But with a little investigating, it is easy to identify this creature as the aggregated anemone (Anthopleura elegantissima), a common tide pool animal found plastered along the tidal shores throughout the Salish Sea.
Unlike most other local anemones, you don’t have to wait for extremely low tides to find them. If the beach is a suitable habitat, they might be found near the zero tide height, or even somewhat higher than that.
Early in life, anemones anchor themselves to a firm substrate by secreting adhesive proteins, similar to the glue of a barnacle. Although they can move in some circumstances, anemones typically spend their lives in one place enjoying the company of their own kind.
Early in life, anemones anchor themselves to a firm substrate by secreting adhesive proteins, similar to the glue of a barnacle. Although they can move in some circumstances, anemones typically spend their lives in one place enjoying the company of their own kind.
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With showy fuchsia-tipped appendages and hypnotic hues of purple and green, this species of anemone appears as an aquatic version of a chrysanthemum. In a truly remarkable symbiotic relationship between plant and animal, the anemone acts as a welcoming host to marine algae, which lives inside its body.
Like all true relationships, each member contributes to as well as benefits from the other. In this case, the brightly colored algae clothe the anemone with vibrant color, so that colonies of anemones are often different colors. The algae also provide nutrients and oxygen created in the process of photosynthesis. In turn, the anemone offers the algae protection and can adjust position slightly to maximize sunlight exposure throughout the day, aiding the algae with food production. |
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