Known by several common names, including Christmas Anemone, Mottled Anemone, and Painted Anemone displays red and green areas on its column and uses its nematocysts to capture and eat crabs, mussels, fish, and other tidepool animals. They are common inhabitants of low intertidal to subtidal zones, from Alaska through California, and can grow quite large – up to eight inches in diameter and twelve inches tall. They are noted to live up to 60-80 years. We do find them at FMR, so be sure to look for them during the upcoming king tides in December and January.
Photo credit: Marian Miller, FFMR Volunteer Naturalist