Since this is a symbiotic relationship, there has to be a benefit for the algae as well. It is therefore possible for the sea anemone to yield a tremendous benefit from the symbiotic relationship, as it has ample access to oxygen as well as access to critical sources of energy in the form of alanine, glucose, and glycerol. This is because the algae - zooaxanthellae and zoochlorellae - generate the products associated with photosynthesis and makes them readily available for use by the sea anemone. As for the diversity of sea anemones, there are currently 46 families officially recognized for scientific classification purposes.ĭue to the symbiotic relationship that exists between the single-celled dinoflagellates that inhabit its cells, the sea anemone is actually able to benefit from the process of photosynthesis despite its non-plant status. There are two suborders that fall under Actiniaria: Enthemonae and Anenthemonae. The taxonomic classification for sea anemones is as follows: Inside the cells of sea anemones are single-celled dinoflagellates, which are typically zooaxanthellae - also found in the cells of corals - and zoochlorellae.īelonging to the order Actiniaria, the scientific classification of sea anemones posits that, as part of the phylum Cnidaria, they are relatives of not just the corals that make up the reef systems they inhabit but also of the jellyfish and the Hydra. A predatory, column-shaped marine animal, sea anemones can range in height from just a few millimeters to well over six feet and may possess as many as several hundred tentacles.Ī relative of the corals that make up the reef environments they often inhabit, sea anemones benefit from a symbiotic relationship quite similar to the one found in their coral relatives. Taking their name from a terrestrial flower, sea anemones are sessile polyps most often found in the coral reefs common to warm, tropical waters.

Anemona rock