cnidarians text index | photo index
Phylum Cnidaria
Animals with a ring of smooth tentacles
How to tell them apart?
updated Dec 2019

Several animals with a central mouth surrounded by a ring of smooth tentacles are sometimes confused for one another. Here's more on how to tell them apart.

Cerianthids
Order Ceriantharia
True sea anemones
Order Actiniaria
Zoanthids
Order Zoanthidae
Usually found alone. Usually found alone. Usually found in groups of many individual polyps. The polyps are joined to one another.
An outer ring of longer tentacles and an inner ring of much shorter tentacles. Various arrangement of tentacles. Tentacles may be long or short. Two rows of tentacles. Tentacles usually very short and of equal length.
Lives inside a soft tube that it creates. Does not live inside a tube. Does not live inside a tube.

how to tell apart
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