About Stichodactyla gigantea (Forsskål, 1775)
Stichodactyla gigantea (Forsskål, 1775) typically reaches no more than 50 centimeters (1.6 ft) in diameter, with a maximum recorded diameter of 80 centimeters (2.6 ft). This sea anemone occurs in a variety of colors: it is most commonly brown or greenish, and rarely appears in striking shades of purple, pink, deep blue, or bright green. Healthy S. gigantea have tentacles that are extremely sticky to the touch, and the anemone adheres firmly to surfaces. Ecologically, S. gigantea lives in shallow seagrass beds or sand flats at a depth of around 8 centimeters (3.1 in) at low tide. While most anemones are considered sessile, S. gigantea that host anemonefish are actually motile. Zooxanthellae are obligate symbionts that live inside this anemone. S. gigantea acts as a host for seven different anemonefish species: Amphiprion akindynos (Barrier reef anemonefish), A. bicinctus (Two-band anemonefish), A. clarkii (Clark's anemonefish), A. ocellaris (False clownfish), A. percula (Clownfish), A. perideraion (Pink skunk anemonefish), and A. rubrocinctus (Australian anemonefish). Juvenile Dascyllus trimaculatus also associate with S. gigantea.
