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A fireworks anemone living on a muddy sea floor, its long white tentacles flared in a sunburst like an underwater explosion of light

Fireworks anemone © Cathy Lewis

Fireworks anemone

This rare anemone lives up to its name with a spectacular display of long, white tentacles.

Scientific name

Pachycerianthus multiplicatus

When to see

January to December

Species information

Statistics

Tentacles: up to 30cm across
Column: up to 30cm tall
Nationally rare. Listed in the UK Biodiversity Action Plan as a species of conservation concern.

About

The fireworks anemone is found on muddy seabeds, usually in water between 10 and 130 metres deep. Unlike the more familiar rockpool anemones that attach themselves to rocks, this is a burrowing anemone. It lives within a tube in the seafloor, which can be over a metre long. It has two rings of tentacles - short ones around its mouth, with longer ones around the outside. It can't retract its tentacles like some anemones do, but may coil them up if it's disturbed.

How to identify

A deep water anemone with an elongated body and two rings of tentacles. The inner tentacles are short, stiff and pale brown. The outer tentacles are very long and white, sometimes with brown rings.

Distribution

Mainly found in sea lochs on the western coast of Scotland.

Did you know?

There can be up to 200 tentacles in its outer ring.