About Anthopleura elegantissima (Brandt, 1835)
This species, commonly known as the aggregating anemone, has polyps with oral disks that can grow up to eight centimeters across. Around the margins of the oral disk, there are approximately 100 tentacles arranged in three or four rows. Most individuals are colored olive to bright green, with pink tentacle tips; this green coloration depends on the species of algal symbionts living within the anemone. Individuals that live in microhabitats with low levels of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), such as under docks or inside caves, do not host these symbionts and range in color from pale yellow to white. The aggregating anemone is found along the Pacific coast of North America, ranging from Alaska, United States, to Baja California, Mexico. It is most common in protected waters.
