Urticina crassicornis

The Northern Red Anemone or The Painted Urticina

Phylum Cnidaria
Class Anthozoa
Subclass Hexacorallia
Order Actiniaria
Suborder Nynantheae
Family Actiniidae
Genus Urticina
Species crassicornis

Description: Can reach a height of 12.7 cm and a width of 7.6 cm; column olive gray or greenish grey, often streaked with red; tentacles, arranged in three rings around the mouth, are thick and blunt; tentalcles are olive gray or greenish grey in color and have some light bands; may accumulate bits of sand or shell.

Habitat: Found only at extreme low tides attached to rocks; common on floats and pilings as long as the salinity is nearly that of full strength sea water.

Natural History: It feeds on crab, molluscs and fish. It is known to have a lifespan of 60 to 80 years. This sea anemone was found at Bostor Harbor.