Scientific name:

Actinia equina

About:

Sea anemones live attached to the rocks, catching plankton and tiny animals from the water with their stinging tentacles. Grows on rocks and rock pools around the low tide mark, sometimes in small groups. A squat jelly-like ‘body’ with thick shortish tentacles which are retracted when disturbed or when uncovered by the falling tide. Up to 6cm across. Very variable in colour: ‘body’ often red, green or brown with slightly paler tentacles.

How to identify:

This species is very commonly seen on rocky shores around Sussex, notably in spring and summer months. When expanded, numerous tentacles are exposed and a ring of blue 'beads' can be seen around them; when contracted (if out of water or disturbed), beadlet anemones resemble a blob of jelly.

Where:

On rocky shores around all our coasts at the mid- to low-tide level

Fantastic facts:

Although they look like flowers, sea anemones are animals, not plants.