 |
|
| sea anemones text index | photo index |
| Phylum Cnidaria > Class Anthozoa > Subclass Zoantharia/Hexacorallia > Order Actiniaria |
| Common peachia
anemone Metapeachia tropica Family Haloclavidae updated Nov 2019 Where seen? This small burrowing anemone has a few fat tentacles that spread out flat on the surface. It is seen on some of our shores, especially in sheltered sandy areas. It is small and usually retracted into the sand at low tide so it may actually be quite common but overlooked. Features: Diameter with tentacles expanded 4-5cm. One ring of 16 tentacles that are thick at the base and tapering at the tips. It has a cream-coloured body column. It is usually seen with its tentacles flat on the surface, spaced out equally so that the anemone resembles a star. The oral disk and tentacles often have V-shaped chevron patterns in shades of white, pink, beige and brown. A structure of 3-5 bumps in the middle of the mouth that sometimes protrudes out of the mouth called a conchula. At low tide it tucks its tentacles into its body column so the animal resembles a white striped blob. Sometimes mistaken for Brown peachia anemone (Synpeachia temasek) which has a reddish-brown column, 20 tentacles, and a conchula. An 'uprooted' Peachia anemone is often mistaken for a sea cucumber or a worm. Here's more on how to tell apart sausage-like creatures. |
 Sisters Island, May 08 |
 Bumps in the middle of the mouth |
 With tentacles tucked in. Sisters Island, Dec 08 |
 'Uprooted' anemone. Changi, Nov 07 |
 Bumps on a 'column' in the middle of the mouth. Changi, Jun 11 |
 Eating a crab? Changi, Apr 08 |
 Sisters Island, Jul 07 |
 Pasir Ris, Jul 09 |
 Cyrene Reef, May 10 |
| Common peachia anemones on Singapore shores |
On wildsingapore
flickr
|
| Other sightings on Singapore shores |
Links
References
|