# Painted Anemone (*urticina grebelnyi*) The Painted Anemone is a vibrant sea creature that looks like a beautiful flower underwater! It has long, colorful tentacles that help it catch food in the ocean. - **Category:** [Invertebrate](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/invertebrate) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 4 - **Habitat:** Coastal waters and rocky shorelines of the Pacific Ocean. - **Also known as:** Flower Anemone, Pacific Anemone ![Painted Anemone](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Anemone_-_Flickr_-_brewbooks_%281%29.jpg&width=800) Photo: brewbooks from near Seattle, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Anemone_-_Flickr_-_brewbooks_%281%29.jpg) ## Appearance The Painted Anemone has a striking red, orange, or white column often marked with bold, contrasting stripes or blotches. Its short, numerous tentacles, sometimes with iridescent pink or purple tips, surround a central oral disc, making it look like a vibrant underwater flower. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Cnidaria - **Class:** Anthozoa - **Order:** Actiniaria - **Family:** Actiniidae - **Genus:** Urticina ## Interesting facts - Even though it looks like a plant, the Painted Anemone is actually a clever animal! - If one anemone is cut in half, both pieces can sometimes grow into whole new anemones! - Some anemones can live for more than 100 years, making them older than your great-grandparents! - The sticky feeling you get from some anemones is their super tiny stinging cells! ## Special abilities - **Sticky Stinger:** Painted Anemone has stinging cells called nematocysts that help them catch prey and protect against predators. - **Firm Anchor:** Painted Anemone can firmly attach its pedal disc to rocks or shells, helping them stay put in strong currents. - **Regen Ring:** Painted Anemone can regrow lost tentacles or parts of its body if damaged, helping them recover from injuries. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 10 cm - **Size:** 10 cm - **Lifespan:** 50 years - **Tentacle Count:** 200 - **Average Depth M:** 10 m ## Diet & Feeding They snatch small creatures like fish and shrimp passing by using their stinging tentacles. - **Primary Foods:** Small fish, Crustaceans, Zooplankton, Detritus - **Foraging Method:** Ambush ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Sunflower Sea Star](https://www.snappit.app/explore/sunflower-sea-star) (*Pycnopodia helianthoides*) — This large sea star may prey on anemones. - **Eaten by:** Shaggy Sea Slug (*Aeolidia papillosa*) — This nudibranch specifically feeds on sea anemones. - **Shelter:** [Blueband Hermit Crab](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blueband-hermit-crab) (*Pagurus samuelis*) — Finds refuge near the anemone's stinging tentacles. ## Traits - [Solitary](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/solitary): Solitary animals live alone for most of their lives, only interacting with others for mating or parental care. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Carnivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/carnivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of animal tissue. - [Aquatic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aquatic): Aquatic habitats encompass environments where organisms live predominantly in water, including oceans, rivers, lakes, and wetlands. - [Marine](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/marine): Marine habitats encompass all saltwater environments of the Earth's oceans, supporting an immense diversity of aquatic life. ## Collections - [Invertebrates](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/invertebrates) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low No special safety notes yet. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Painted Anemone? Look for fins, arms, tentacles, shells and body symmetry. Underwater light shifts colors, so structure and markings usually matter more than shade. Sea Creature Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Painted Anemone? 10 cm ### How big is Painted Anemone? 10 cm ### How long does Painted Anemone live? 50 years ### What does Painted Anemone eat? They snatch small creatures like fish and shrimp passing by using their stinging tentacles. ### Where is Painted Anemone usually found? Coastal waters and rocky shorelines of the Pacific Ocean. ### How does Painted Anemone hunt? Ambush ### How many tentacles does Painted Anemone have? 200 ## Where to spot - [Seattle Aquarium](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/seattle-aquarium-washington) — Washington, US · Zoo - [Guard Island Light](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/guard-island-light) — US · Historic District - [Port Townsend Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/port-townsend-historic-district) — Washington, US · Historic District - [Schmitz Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/schmitz-park) — Washington, US · Nature Reserve - [Seattle Aquarium](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/seattle-aquarium) — Washington, US · Aquarium - [Myrtle Edwards Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/myrtle-edwards-park) — Washington, US · Park [View all places to see Painted Anemone](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/painted-anemone) ## More Invertebrate - [Coral](https://www.snappit.app/explore/coral) - [Crab Spider](https://www.snappit.app/explore/crab-spider) (*Mecaphesa asperata*) - [Garden Spider](https://www.snappit.app/explore/garden-spider) (*Araneus diadematus*) - [Brown Recluse Spider](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-recluse-spider) (*Loxosceles reclusa*) --- Source: [Painted Anemone: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/painted-anemone)