Fish Eating Anemone

By Richard Anderson | February 26, 2014 |

Fish Eating Anemone

Seen on the rocky bottoms in and around old wooden pilings in Pacific Northwest dive sites, Fish eating anemone are ambush predators that lie in wait for food to come by. Divers can occasionally see Painted greenling lying in the tentacles of Fish eating anemone, forming a symbiotic relationship, just like Clownfish with warn water anemones.

Going by the scientific name Urticina piscivora, Fish eating anemone are part of a genus of roughly 12 species of anemone, all featuring long slender tentacles organized in circular rows, and are related to hydroids, corals and jellyfishes. Fish eating anemone range from 8-12 inches across, with the larger examples growing in areas of more available food. They can be found in waters from Alaska to southern California.

Shrimp and small fish make up it’s main diet, using it’s stinging tentacles that stun and immobilize prey. Reproduction and fertilization occur in-water, where Fish eating anemone can switch between male and female. The fertilized larvae will then float away and anchor to the ocean floor. Fish eating anemone are thought to live for 100+ years in the wild. Trawling, which was banned in Puget Sound in the 1980’s, can disturb ocean bottom where Fish eating anemone live, requiring decades for habitat to recover. Fish eating anemone are not considered threatened at this time.

Fish eating anemone make great photography subjects with brilliant colors, lots of detail, and the fact that they stay put for multiple shots. On your guided dive tour, ask your PADI dive guide to point one out, or rent a camera to take pictures.

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