''Anthothoe chilensis'', or striped anemone, is a

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

sea anemone Sea anemones ( ) are a group of predation, predatory marine invertebrates constituting the order (biology), order Actiniaria. Because of their colourful appearance, they are named after the ''Anemone'', a terrestrial flowering plant. Sea anemone ...

s in the

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

Sagartiidae.Branch, G.M., Branch, M.L, Griffiths, C.L. and Beckley, L.E. 2010. ''Two Oceans: a guide to the marine life of southern Africa''

Description

''Anthothoe chilensis'' is a small anemone of around 2 cm in diameter. It is vertically striped in pink, green or browns, though it may also be pale in colour.Jones, Georgina. ''A field guide to the marine animals of the Cape Peninsula.'' SURG, Cape Town, 2008.

Distribution

This species is found off Chile, Brazil and Argentina in South America, around St. Helena and off the southern African coast from Luderitz to Richards Bay. It inhabits waters from the

intertidal zone The intertidal zone or foreshore is the area above water level at low tide and underwater at high tide; in other words, it is the part of the littoral zone within the tidal range. This area can include several types of habitats with various ...

to 28m in depth.

Ecology

''Anthothoe chilensis'' shoots sticky defensive threads (acontia) through pores in its body wall when threatened. It has

symbiotic Symbiosis (Ancient Greek : living with, companionship < : together; and ''bíōsis'': living) is any type of a close and long-term biolo ...

bacteria living within its body which supplement its food supply by

photosynthesis Photosynthesis ( ) is a system of biological processes by which photosynthetic organisms, such as most plants, algae, and cyanobacteria, convert light energy, typically from sunlight, into the chemical energy necessary to fuel their metabo ...

. Preyed upon by the nudibranch '' Anteaeolidiella cacaotica'' (recorded as syn. '' Anteaeolidiella foulisi'').

References

Sagartiidae Cnidarians of the Atlantic Ocean Cnidarians of the Indian Ocean Cnidarians of the Pacific Ocean Animals described in 1830 Taxa named by René Lesson {{Actiniaria-stub