New header - Anemone

I was feeling the need to change out my header again and I came across this marvelous shot of an anemone that my husband took on our last diving trip in Cancun/Cozumel.  He had just gotten a cheap, little Fuji (my favorite camera manufacturer for color integrity) and an underwater case (less then $120.00 for both).   He usually shoots film but decided to go with digital this time.  He knows how much I love the instant gratification of having a digital camera and thought he would give it a try. My honey took some wonderful shots to include a few lionfish hiding among brilliant yellow coral.  I think he is now sold on his digital.

The full picture of the anemone.  I cropped it in for a tight shot for my header.   This anemone is actually a pale white color with yellow tips but I loved the Caribbean blue color the sea water had filtered the shot with that I decided to leave it that way.

The true color of the anemone, white with yellow/green tips.  Pretty little black and white "Butterfly Fish" swimming above it.

Sea anemones are a group of water dwelling, predatory animals that are named after the anemone, a terrestrial flower. The animal is a polyp attached at the bottom to the surface beneath it by an adhesive foot. Radially symmetric, they have a columnar body with a single body opening, the mouth, which is surrounded by tentacles. The tentacles protect the anemone and catch its food; they are studded with microscopic stinging capsules. Most anemones measure an inch to two inches in diameter, but anemones can be found as small as .16 of an inch to over 6 feet.  This particular anemone was about the size of a bowling ball.  They live attached to firm objects in the seas, usually the sea floor, rock, or coral, but they can slide around very slowly.  Sea Anemones come in many shapes, sizes, and colors. 

(screen shot of a few varieties...click to enlarge)

They are carnivores that eat fish, mussels, zooplankton, and worms and catch food using the tentacles, which have poisonous stingers.  A few fish species such as the Clownfish are unaffected by the poisonous tentacles and they work together (called mutualism).  The clownfish benefits from the housing and protection of the sea anemone and the sea anemone in return gets the scraps the clownfish brings and can sting and digest the large fish that the clownfish lures in. 

Blessings to all and those you love. Sea Witch