# Sunburst Anemone (*anthopleura sola*) The Sunburst Anemone is a colorful sea creature that looks like a flower waving in the water! It has beautiful tentacles that can catch tiny food floating by. - **Category:** [Invertebrate](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/invertebrate) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 5 - **Habitat:** Tidal pools and rocky coastal areas - **Also known as:** Colorful Anemone, Rainbow Anemone ![Sunburst Anemone](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Sea_anemone_in_tidepools.jpg&width=800) Photo: Brocken Inaglory, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sea_anemone_in_tidepools.jpg) ## Appearance The Sunburst Anemone has a striking, often solitary appearance with a column that can be red, orange, or white. Its oral disc features radial stripes, resembling a sunburst, surrounded by numerous short tentacles. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Cnidaria - **Class:** Anthozoa - **Order:** Actiniaria - **Family:** Actiniidae - **Genus:** Anthopleura ## Interesting facts - It can live for many decades, much longer than most pets! - It often lives alone, unlike many anemones that gather in groups! - Its vibrant colors come partly from tiny algae living inside it! - This anemone can regenerate lost tentacles or even its entire body! ## Special abilities - **Sticky Shield:** Sunburst Anemone can cover its column with sand and shell fragments because it has special sticky cells that help them camouflage and protect against predators. - **Stingy Snacks:** Sunburst Anemone can catch passing prey because its tentacles are armed with tiny stinging cells called nematocysts that help them paralyze and grab food. - **Slow Shuffle:** Sunburst Anemone can slowly glide across rocks because it has a muscular 'foot' called a pedal disc that helps them find better feeding spots or escape danger. ## Measurements & details - **Size:** 15 cm - **Lifespan:** 20 years - **Tentacle Count:** 300 ## Diet & Feeding This carnivore ambushes small ocean creatures passing by with its stinging tentacles. - **Age differences:** null - **Primary Foods:** Small fish, Crabs, Shrimp, Zooplankton - **Foraging Method:** Ambush ## Ecological connections - **Symbiotic with:** Zooxanthellae (*Symbiodinium microadriaticum*) — Algae live inside, providing food from sunlight. - **Hunts:** Common Lagoon Shrimp (*Palaemon rathkei*) — Catches unwary shrimp that swim into its tentacles. - **Eaten by:** [Leather Star](https://www.snappit.app/explore/leather-star) (*Dermasterias imbricata*) — Some sea stars slowly consume anemones. ## 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. - [Filter Feeder](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/filter-feeder): Filter feeders obtain nutrients by straining suspended food particles and small organisms from water. - [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 Be careful not to touch their tentacles, as they can sting! ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Sunburst 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 big is Sunburst Anemone? 15 cm ### How long does Sunburst Anemone live? 20 years ### What does Sunburst Anemone eat? This carnivore ambushes small ocean creatures passing by with its stinging tentacles. ### Where is Sunburst Anemone usually found? Tidal pools and rocky coastal areas ### How does Sunburst Anemone hunt? Ambush ### How many tentacles does Sunburst Anemone have? 300 ## Where to spot - [Point Dume State Beach](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/point-dume-state-beach) — California, US · State Park - [Audubon Canyon](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/audubon-canyon) — California, US · Nature Reserve - [Birch Aquarium](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/birch-aquarium-california) — California, US · Aquarium - [Bodega Bay](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bodega-bay) — US · Natural Landmark - [Fort MacArthur](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/fort-macarthur) — California, US · Historic Site - [Naval Air Station North Island](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/naval-air-station-north-island) — California, US · Historic Site [View all places to see Sunburst Anemone](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/sunburst-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: [Sunburst Anemone: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/sunburst-anemone)