Painted Anemone
Urticina grebelnyi
They can live for over 80 years, and some specimens in captivity have lived for over a century without showing signs of aging.
- Scientific name
- Urticina grebelnyi
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Cnidaria › Anthozoa › Actiniaria › Actiniidae › Urticina
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- aquatic
- Habitat
- Rocky intertidal and subtidal zones, tidepools, and shallow reefs.
- Diet
- Carnivorous, preying on small fish, crabs, sea urchins, and marine invertebrates.
- Range
- North Pacific Ocean, Coast of Alaska, Bering Sea, Pacific Northwest
- Size
- Diameter up to 25 cm, height up to 20 cm
- Lifespan
- 60-100 years
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Ocean acidification, coastal pollution, habitat destruction from tidepool trampling, and rising sea temperatures.
- Safe to approach?
- Defensive. While their sting is generally mild to humans, they can cause painful skin irritation, rashes, or allergic reactions on sensitive skin. Keep a safe distance of 30 cm and do not touch. If stung, rinse the affected area with seawater (avoid fresh water) and apply vinegar to deactivate remaining stinging cells; seek medical attention if irritation persists or breathing difficulties occur.
Urticina grebelnyi , commonly known as the painted anemone or Christmas anemone , is a large, colorful sea anemone found from Alaska to Southern California, at depths of 0 to 30 meters, often in high-current rocky habitats. They can live up to 80 years.
Photo: no rights reserved, CC0, via iNaturalist
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