Foods and Feeding.
Sea anemones are carnivorous animals requiring animal food. The size of food particles required divides them into tow major categories. first, there are the true predators, which include the general Peachia, Stoichactis, Calliactis, Tealia, Anemonia, Bunodactis, Actinia, and others. These anemones have tentacles that are equipped with many nematocysts, with which they can paralyze their prey. Moreover, their tentacles are strong, suitable for grasping and manipulating food toward the mouth. They can easily overpower small fishes.
Judging by the remains of prey found in the gut of predatory sea anemones, they usually feed on small fishes and crabs, shrimp, and other invertebrates.
The other major group of sea anemones is the particle feeders. Their food intake is facilitated by ciliary action along the outer skin. For instance, in Halcampa and "Sagartia tiny cilia (actually skin cells with a long whip like flagellum) are distributed all over the oral disc; in other sea anemones these cilia extend over the entire body surface. Tiny floating animals (invertebrate larvae, protozoans, etc.) in the plankton will stick to these anemones by means of an adhesive produced by the ciliated cells. The cilia will then create minute directional currents toward the mouth that carry tiny food particles directly into the gastric cavity of the anemone.In addition to feeding on a variety of prey many sea anemones derive a considerable amount of their nutritional intake through a group of dinoflagellate algae called zooxanthellae.
Sea anemones are carnivorous animals requiring animal food. The size of food particles required divides them into tow major categories. first, there are the true predators, which include the general Peachia, Stoichactis, Calliactis, Tealia, Anemonia, Bunodactis, Actinia, and others. These anemones have tentacles that are equipped with many nematocysts, with which they can paralyze their prey. Moreover, their tentacles are strong, suitable for grasping and manipulating food toward the mouth. They can easily overpower small fishes.
Judging by the remains of prey found in the gut of predatory sea anemones, they usually feed on small fishes and crabs, shrimp, and other invertebrates.
The other major group of sea anemones is the particle feeders. Their food intake is facilitated by ciliary action along the outer skin. For instance, in Halcampa and "Sagartia tiny cilia (actually skin cells with a long whip like flagellum) are distributed all over the oral disc; in other sea anemones these cilia extend over the entire body surface. Tiny floating animals (invertebrate larvae, protozoans, etc.) in the plankton will stick to these anemones by means of an adhesive produced by the ciliated cells. The cilia will then create minute directional currents toward the mouth that carry tiny food particles directly into the gastric cavity of the anemone.In addition to feeding on a variety of prey many sea anemones derive a considerable amount of their nutritional intake through a group of dinoflagellate algae called zooxanthellae.
