Anthopleura xanthogrammica, (Brandt, 1835)
Anthopleura xanthogrammica, or the giant green anemone, is a species of intertidal sea anemone of the family Actiniidae.
Other common names for this anemone include green surf anemone, giant green sea anemone, green anemone, giant tidepool anemone, anemone, and rough anemone.
The column width and height can reach a maximum of 17.5 and 30 cm, respectively. The crown of tentacles can be as wide as 25 cm in diameter, while the column, itself, tends to be widest at the base in order to offer a more stable connection to the rocks.
It has a broad, flat oral disk surface and no striping, banding, or other markings.
Generally, A. xanthogrammica is found along the low to mid intertidal zones of the Pacific Ocean, from Alaska to southern California and sometimes downwards to Panama, where cold water swells can occur.
Nematocysts found in the tentacles assist A. xanthogrammica to catch and paralyze prey.
After feeding and digestion is complete, the anemone excretes its waste back through the mouth opening.
These anemones tend to live a solitary life, but can be occasionally seen as groups with no less than 14 individuals per square meter. They can move slowly using their basal disks, but usually stay sessile. Like other anemones, A. xanthogrammica can use stinging cells located in the tentacles as protection from predators and a mechanism to capture prey.
Anthopleura xanthogrammica reproduce sexually via external fertilization of sperm and eggs in the late fall. Newly formed pelagic, planktotrophic larvae float in the water until dispersing and settling in mussel beds.
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