This giant green anemone was quite an impressive specimen! The species can reach a height of up to 30 cm (about a foot), and a width about half that. The base of the anemone is always widest and they can move very slowly if needed. If exposed to adequate sunlight, they are a bright green color; otherwise they are brown or dark green. They are found in the Pacific Ocean from Alaska to Southern California, and tend to live close to the shore. They have stinging cells around their oral disc which helps them catch prey (small fish, crabs and mussels). They themselves are eaten by sea stars, snails and sea spiders.
I thought this a particularly nice example. The fish in the above photo gives some perspective as to the size of the anemone.
These photos were taken at the fabulous Monterey Bay Aquarium along California’s central coast.
