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The walking anemone (''Preactis millardae''), also known as the hedgehog anemone or sock anemone, is a
The walking anemone is an unusual looking anemone, which may grow to up to 6 cm in diameter and 30 cm in length. It has papillae covering its whole body column. Scarlet lines radiate outwards from the mouth and can be seen on the body between papillae. The background colour of the body is pale. Juveniles are pale or white in colour and have protruding rounded swellings on their bodies instead of papillae.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''
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), ...
of 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 order
Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to:
* A socio-political or established or existing order, e.g. World order, Ancien Regime, Pax Britannica
* Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood
...
Actiniaria
Sea anemones ( ) are a group of predatory marine invertebrates constituting the order Actiniaria. Because of their colourful appearance, they are named after the '' Anemone'', a terrestrial flowering plant. Sea anemones are classified in the phy ...
. It is the only member of its genus
Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...
, ''Preactis.''
Description
The walking anemone is an unusual looking anemone, which may grow to up to 6 cm in diameter and 30 cm in length. It has papillae covering its whole body column. Scarlet lines radiate outwards from the mouth and can be seen on the body between papillae. The background colour of the body is pale. Juveniles are pale or white in colour and have protruding rounded swellings on their bodies instead of papillae.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''
Distribution
This anemone has only been found on both sides of the Cape Peninsula in South Africa. It isendemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...
to this area. It has been found from 10 to 30 m underwater.
Ecology
This anemone 'walks' rather like a leech does, by creeping. It is usually found on vertical rock walls, although it may sometimes be found on sand patches. It is a voracious predator of the multicoloured sea fan, ''Acabaria rubra'', and is often found eating these animals, which it consumes down to the skeletal support.Jones, Georgina. ''A field guide to the marine animals of the Cape Peninsula.'' SURG, Cape Town, 2008.References
Preactiniidae Animals described in 1984 {{Actiniaria-stub