''Stichodactyla haddoni'', commonly known as Haddon's sea anemone, is a species of sea anemone belonging to 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 ...

Stichodactylidae Stichodactylidae is a family of sea anemones that contains the genera ''Stichodactyla'' (carpet anemones) and ''Heteractis''. These sea anemones exclusively reside within the shallow waters of the tropical Indo-Pacific area and are in the main ...

. It is found in the

Indo-Pacific The Indo-Pacific is a vast biogeographic region of Earth. In a narrow sense, sometimes known as the Indo-West Pacific or Indo-Pacific Asia, it comprises the tropical waters of the Indian Ocean, the western and central Pacific Ocean, and the ...

area.

Description

''S. haddoni'' is characterized by a folded oral disc that reaches between 50 and 80 cm in diameter with a 1 – 2 cm tentacle free oral area. The tentacles have a rounded tip and the end may be green, yellow, gray, or rarely, blue and pink. The column, external structure of an anemone visible when the animal is closed, has small, non-adhesive bumps (verrucae) which are usually the same color as the column and not visible. The tentacles are yellowish or tan. At the circumference it has alternating short and long tentacles.

Distribution and habitat

''S. haddoni'' is found on sandy surfaces and is widespread throughout the tropical and subtropical waters of the

area from

Mauritius Mauritius ( ; french: Maurice, link=no ; mfe, label=Mauritian Creole, Moris ), officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean about off the southeast coast of the African continent, east of Madagascar. It incl ...

to Fiji and from the

Ryukyu Islands The , also known as the or the , are a chain of Japanese islands that stretch southwest from Kyushu to Taiwan: the Ōsumi, Tokara, Amami, Okinawa, and Sakishima Islands (further divided into the Miyako and Yaeyama Islands), with Yona ...

of southern Japan to Australia.

Biology

''S. haddoni'' feeds in two ways. The first is internal via

photosynthesis Photosynthesis is a process used by plants and other organisms to convert light energy into chemical energy that, through cellular respiration, can later be released to fuel the organism's activities. Some of this chemical energy is stored i ...

of its symbiotic zooxanthellae, living in its tissues. And the second is through capturing its prey via its tentacles that allow it to immobilize its prey (small invertebrates, fry or juvenile fish), by using toxins such as SHTX.Honma, T., Kawahata, K., Ishida, M., Nagai, H., Nagashima, Y., Shiomi, K (Apr 2008). Novel peptide toxins from the sea anemone Stichodactyla haddoni. Peptides, 29: 536–544. doi:10.1016/j.peptides.2007.12.010 ''S. haddoni'' lives in association with 6 different species of clownfish : *''

Amphiprion akindynos ''Amphiprion akindynos'', the Barrier Reef anemonefish, is a species of anemonefish that is principally found in the Great Barrier Reef of Australia, but also in nearby locations in the Western Pacific. The species name 'akindynos' is Greek, m ...

'' (Barrier reef anemonefish) * ''A. chrysogaster'' (Mauritian anemonefish) * ''A. chrysopterus'' (Orange-fin anemonefish) * ''A. clarkii'' (Clark's anemonefish) * ''A. polymnus'' (Saddleback anemonefish) * ''A. sebae'' (Sebae anemonefish) Juvenile ''

Dascyllus trimaculatus The threespot dascyllus (''Dascyllus trimaculatus''), also known as the domino damsel or simply domino, is a species of damselfish from the family Pomacentridae. It is native to the Indo-Pacific from the Red Sea and East Africa, to the Pitcair ...

'' also associate with ''S. haddoni''. A number of other species are associated with ''S. haddoni'', however the relationship is

commensal Commensalism is a long-term biological interaction ( symbiosis) in which members of one species gain benefits while those of the other species neither benefit nor are harmed. This is in contrast with mutualism, in which both organisms benefit fr ...

rather than mutual as the anemone does not appear to benefit from the association. These species are * ''

Neopetrolisthes maculatus ''Neopetrolisthes maculatus'' is a species of porcelain crab from the Indo-Pacific The Indo-Pacific is a vast biogeographic region of Earth. In a narrow sense, sometimes known as the Indo-West Pacific or Indo-Pacific Asia, it comprise ...

'', a porcelain crab * Shrimp from the genus '' Periclimenes'' * ''

Thor amboinensis ''Thor amboinensis'', commonly known as the squat shrimp or sexy shrimp, is a species of shrimp found across the Indo-West Pacific and in parts of the Atlantic Ocean. It lives symbiotically on corals, sea anemones and other marine invertebrates ...

'', the squat or sexy shrimp

Gallery

Anemonefish in ''S. haddoni'' Image:Amphiprion chrysogaster 07.jpg, ''A. chrysogaster'' (Mauritian anemonefish) with juvenile ''

'' Image:Diving at Siaes Tunnel, Palau.jpg, ''A. chrysopterus'' (Orange-fin anemonefish) Image:Poisson clown de clark.JPG, ''A. clarkii'' (Clark's anemonefish) Image:Amphiprion polymnus, atacando.jpg, ''A. polymnus'' (Saddleback anemonefish) Image:Clown Fish Aquarium.JPG, ''A. sebae'' (Sebae anemonefish) Image:Anemone Crab.JPG, ''

'' (porcelain crab) Image:Stichodactyla haddoni, Neopetrolisthes maculatus.jpg, ''

'' (porcelain crab) Image:Periclimenes brevicarpalis.jpg, '' Periclimenes brevicarpalis'' (Glass Anemone Shrimp) Image:Stichodactyla haddoni with Amphiprion polymnus.jpg, ''S. haddoni'' with ''A. polymnus''

References

External links

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q1273757 Stichodactylidae Animals described in 1893 Taxa named by William Saville-Kent