Tube anemone

Care at a glance

The tube anemone is not a true anemone but a related animal that builds a felt-like, mucus tube in the substrate. From it, it unfolds two rings of tentacles: long, waving outer ones and short inner ones around the mouth, often in beautiful colour combinations.

It is a nocturnal hunter with powerful stinging cells that can catch fish and shrimp coming too close, so keep a generous distance from corals and tankmates. Give it a deep, fine substrate to build its tube in, subdued light and regular meaty or frozen food; it does not live on light.

Good to know

• Potent sting — keep distance in the tank
• Digger — needs fine sand
• Active at night
• Preys on shrimp and snails

Related species

• Gigantea carpet anemoneStichodactyla gigantea
• Long tentacle anemoneMacrodactyla doreensis
• Beaded sea anemoneHeteractis aurora
• Curly-cue anemoneBartholomea annulata
• Frilled anemone (metridium)Metridium senile
• Sebae anemoneHeteractis crispa