''Aulactinia veratra'', the green snakelock anemone, is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of ...

of sea anemone in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

Actiniidae Actiniidae is the largest family of sea anemones, to which most common, temperate, shore species belong. Most members of this family do not participate in symbioses with fishes. Three exceptions are the bubble-tip anemone (with anemonefish and ...

. It is native to the southeastern Indian Ocean and the southwestern Pacific Ocean.

Description

The green snakelock anemone averages about in height, but individuals in some areas have reached when fully extended. The broad column has rows of verrucae (wart-like outgrowths) on its surface to which coarse grains of sand and fragments of shell adhere. The oral disc has a central mouth surrounded by a whorl of long, tapering tentacles with blunt tips, varying in number from 24 to 124. When expanded, both the column and tentacles of this anemone are usually green, but brown or red individuals sometimes occur. When retracted, with the oral disc and tentacles tucked inside the body cavity, green individuals may appear black.

Distribution and habitat

The green snakelock anemone is found in shallow seas around the west, south, and east coasts of Australia, Tasmania and both islands of New Zealand. It is found in the intertidal zone in rock pools, under overhangs, between boulders, and in crevices. The base is firmly attached to a rocky

substrate Substrate may refer to: Physical layers *Substrate (biology), the natural environment in which an organism lives, or the surface or medium on which an organism grows or is attached ** Substrate (locomotion), the surface over which an organism lo ...

even when the anemone is in a rock pool and appears to be immersed in sand. It is often found growing close to the sand anemone.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2658577 Actiniidae Animals described in 1846