Merten S Carpet Sea Anemone

Merten s carpet anemones are the largest sea anemones in the world.

Merten s carpet sea anemone. This anemone is also referred to as the carpet anemone gigantic sea anemone or giant carpet anemone. Once thought to be the purview of only the experienced aquarist today s aquarium technology makes it possible for a novice with an established tank at least four to six months old to successfully keep an anemone. That s a little ridiculous for a sea anemone. While not necessary in captivity pairing a host anemone with a clownfish is one of the most striking displays in the hobby.

However like other animals harvested for the live aquarium trade. Other than their size merten s anemones are a bit boring having no bright fun colours that other anemones flaunt. The true carpet anemone and can be distinguished from stichodactyla haddoni by the rows of spots on the underside of the oral disc. Stichodactyla mertensii commonly known as mertens carpet sea anemone is a species of sea anemones in the family stichodactylidae it is regarded as the largest sea anemone with a diameter of over 1 m 3 3 ft the next largest being heteractis magnifica which has longer tentacles.

As you can see this video the anemone is home to many different species of fish and aquatic life. The merten s carpet anemone stichodactyla mertensii was described by brandt in 1835. Some other names they are known for are merten s sea anemone non stinging carpet anemone and spotted base carpet anemone. They can reach staggering proportions of over one metre in diameter.

Carpet anemones are not listed among the threatened animals of singapore. The largest species of anemone is the mertens sea carpet anemone it can grow up to a diameter of to one meter. The latin name is stichodactyla mertensii. The giant carpet anemone is also rarely held flat against its surrounding surfaces unlike the merten s carpet anemone stichodactyla mertensii which often spreads out to blanket the surrounding substrate.

Clark s anemonefish porcelain crab and damselfish. It has relatively short tapered tentacles with a milder sting than its close relative stichodactyla haddoni. But so far the only animals observed on merten s carpet anemones were the five spot anemone shrimps periclimines brevicarpalis and the false clown anemonefish amphiprion ocellaris. This species has an oral disc that can be described as more ovoid than circular that contours to the.