# 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.

- **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.

## About

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.

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/5d02849e-bebb-4a7d-a199-34950b262e84
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/492672
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urticina grebelnyi
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/199551076/medium.jpeg (no rights reserved, CC0, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.