Strawberry Anemone

Corynactis californica

Strawberry Anemone

Corynactis californica

Other Common Names
Clup-tipped anemone

Orford Reef

Other Common Names

Clup-tipped anemone

At the Aquarium

Orford Reef

Appearance

Strawberry anemones are bright in color but variable between colonies. They are often pink but can be red, orange, lavender, pale blue, crimson, or purple. They have white or clear tentacles capped with white knobs, surrounding a central disk.

They are densely packed, occurring in groups of the same color. Colonies can reach widths of 66ft.

Individuals are about 1cm tall and 1 to 1.5cm in diameter.

Habitat

From the lower intertidal zone to at least 50 meters in rocky shore and kelp forest habitats.

Diet

Small invertebrates and fish larvae.

Life History

Strawberry anemones prefer to live on rocky shores where they can attach onto rock walls, under rock ledges, surrounding wharf pilings, and generally any hard substrate. This even includes other animals like giant acorn barnacles and decorator crabs.

Strawberry anemones reproduce sexually by annual broadcast spawning and asexually by multiple or longitudinal fission to form single-sexed clones of various colors and sizes. A colony will contain all male or female clones.

IUCN Status

Not Evaluated

Ecosystem & Cultural Importance

Strawberry anemones are prey for a variety of species, including the leather star Dermasterias imbricata.

When attached to oysters and mussels, strawberry anemones may provide these animals protection with their stinging cells.

From British Columbia, Canada to Baja California, Mexico.

On the Oregon Coast, strawberry anemones can be seen in tide pools during low tide, but are not as common in intertidal areas north of California.

Strawberry anemones have stinging cells within their tentacles called nematocysts that are used to protect themselves and to feed. The outstretched tentacles wait for potential prey to drift by and the stinging cells subdue the small prey.

Strawberry anemones are not true sea anemones, but rather are more closely related to corals. They are a corallimorpharian and have an appearance similar to corals, but lack the exoskeleton.

Citations & Other Resources

Santuary Integrated Monitoring Network. N.d. Strawberry anemone (Corynactis california). https://sanctuarysimon.org/dbtools/species-database/id/115/corynactis/californica/strawberry-anenome
National Ocean Service. N.d. Strawberry Anemone. Earth Is Blue Magazine. https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/magazine/5/cordell-bank/
Schnitzler, C. E., R.J. Keenan, R. McCord, A. Matysik, L.M. Christianson, L. M., and S.H.D. Haddock. 2008. Spectral Diversity of Fluorescent Proteins from the Anthozoan Corynactis californica. Marine Biotechnology (New York, N.Y.), 10(3), 328–342. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10126-007-9072-7

Strawberry Anemone

Strawberry Anemone

Other Common Names

At the Aquarium

Appearance

Habitat

Diet

Life History

IUCN Status

Ecosystem & Cultural Importance

Citations & Other Resources

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