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Aiptasia is a widely distributed genus of temperate and tropical sea anemones of benthic lifestyle typically found living on mangrove roots and hard substrates. These anemones, as well as many other cnidarian species, often contain symbiotic dinoflagellate unicellular algae of the genus Symbiodinium living inside nutritive
Found burrowing in mud or sand flats in the wild, they need a deep sand bed in their aquarium. 60 cm (23.6 in) Sea spider [3] Pycnogonids: No: Not collected for the aquarium trade, but occasionally seen on live rock and corals as a hitchhiker. They can be pests in a reef tank, preying on soft coral, sponges and anemones. 0.2–50 cm (0.1–19.7 in)
Sea anemones exhibit great powers of regeneration; lost parts swiftly regrow and E. diaphana can be vivisected in the laboratory and then returned to the aquarium where it will heal. [5] These very characteristics of hardiness and regeneration from parts render E. diaphana a pest in the marine reef aquarium.
Sea anemones also breed asexually, by breaking in half or into smaller pieces which regenerate into polyps. Sea anemones are sometimes kept in reef aquariums; the global trade in marine ornamentals for this purpose is expanding and threatens sea anemone populations in some localities, as the trade depends on collection from the wild.
Sea anemones in general can be found anywhere from the intertidal zone all the way to a depth of 30,000 feet. Condylactis gigantea plays an important role in their subtidal communities by providing shelter to a variety of commensals (several fish and cleaner shrimp species), and they serve as "base stations" for fish cleaning activity.
The aggregating anemone (Anthopleura elegantissima), or clonal anemone, is the most abundant species of sea anemone found on rocky, tide swept shores along the Pacific coast of North America. [1] This cnidarian hosts endosymbiotic algae called zooxanthellae that contribute substantially to primary productivity in the intertidal zone . [ 2 ]
The anemones maintain the balance of the deep ocean by preying on small marine animals. Without the anemone, these smaller creatures could become abundant and overwhelm the resources of the ecosystem.
Aiptasia mutabilis, also known as the Trumpet anemone, Rock anemone, and Glass anemone, [1] is a species of sea anemone typically found attached to substrates in cold waters of the Atlantic Ocean. [2] Its unique trumpet shape gives it its common name and it can grow to be 12 cm, having a column between 3 and 6 cm in size. [2]