Description and characteristics of the warty sea anemone
The warty sea anemone gets its name from numerous warts that adorn its foot. This is usually reddish, brownish, or grayish. The warts are white or greyish and arranged on them, forming up to 48 vertical rows.
It has a greenish buccal disc surrounded by up to 48 relatively thick and not very long tentacles with coloration in light-dark bands on the upper part.
Biology of the warty sea anemone
During the day, it usually remains collected, forming a ball. At dusk, it unfolds its tentacles to procure food in the form of small fish and crustaceans.
Habitat and distribution of Bunodactis verrucosa
It lives in exposed and calm shallow waters and can be found in intertidal pools wedged between crevices. It can also bury itself in the sand from where it spreads its tentacles.
It extends along the European Atlantic coasts from the southern North Sea to the Mediterranean .
taxonomic classification
Kingdom: Animal; Phylum: Cnidaria; class: Zoantharia (Hexacorallia); order: Actiniaria; family: Actiniidae; genus: Bunodactis; species: verrucosa.
Scientific names: Aulactinia verrucosa, Bunodactis verrucosa
Common name: warty sea anemone.
