Magnificent Sea Anemone

The magnificent sea anemone is characterized by a flared oral disc, which reaches between 20 and 50cm in diameter, but in some specimens, this can reach 1m. The oral disc, the base of the tentacles, and the oral orifice have the same color, going from light beige to white.

The numerous tentacles exceed 8 cm long. The sea anemone, being a member of the Hexacorallia, usually carries tentacles in multiples of six that are positioned in concentric circles. Their tips are fingered and often lighter in coloration than the tentacle body and are sometimes vividly colored.

Its specific scientific name, magnifica, and its vernacular name come from the bright color of the column, which is the visible outer structure when the animal retracts, and these range from electric blue to green, red, pink, purple, or brown.

The magnificent sea anemone is widespread throughout the tropical and subtropical waters of the Indo-Pacific area, from the eastern coasts of Africa, the Red Sea included, to Polynesia and from southern Japan to Australia and New-Caledonia

This anemone likes hard substrates, being well exposed to light, and currents from the surface to 20m deep, though it has been observed down to 40m deep.