Sunburst Sea Anemone
The Sunburst anemones are our large anemones. You will find them all around and in the tidepools. When they are out of the water they look like blobs with shells and sand on them. I am often asked what the "Green doughnuts" are. The anemones have a sticky stalk that holds the shells and sand to it. These act as insulation and sunblock. The bits of shell reflect the sun off so they don't get hot. When in the water they open up and look like flowers. You will notice that they are different in coloration. This is due to a microscopic algae that forms a symbiotic relationship with the anemones. The coloring of the anemone is determined by what color, and how much algae they have in their tissues. The mouth is located in the center of the anemone. However they also get rid of waste through their mouth. They also are solitary and do not like it when a nieghbor touches them. This can cause a poison dart fight between them. They have special tentacles that are milky white that contain the darts. They will lean in close to each other and let the darts fly. This can be an hours long event. In very slow motion. After the battle they draw away from each other and heal. The photo below is the fighting anemones.
Posted by OC Wildlife & BeachTour at 6/24/2011 4:52 PM 
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Categories: ecotourism, laguna beach, oceans, Orange County, ecotours, beaches, Laguna Beach, environment, Wildlife, Wildlife; nature, dana point, wildlife, Tours Orange County, OC, California, huntington beach, tide pools, Anaheim, marine life, Nature, orange county, Tours Laguna Beach, AnaheimOC, newport beach, Oceans
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