Saltwater Sea Anemone Species Profiles

The saltwater sea anemone is a fascinating creature that is highly sought after by marine aquarium hobbyists. Many anemones form a symbiotic relationship with the various species of clownfish. There is a common misconception that you must have an anemone to keep clownfish and vice versa. This is not true. You can keep clownfish without an anemone and this is a good thing for hobbyists since anemones have some special requirements that make them more difficult to keep than clownfish.

Anemones need higher lighting levels to feed the Zooanthellae algae living in their tissues. For most anemone species you'll need HO, VHO or Metal Halide aquarium lighting. Some hobbyists have reported success keeping bubble tips and condy anemones under power compact lighting but please be prudent with your anemone care and only use power compacts on standard sized tanks. Anemones in deeper tanks (greater than 24 inches) will not get enough light from power compacts.

Some species can harm fish and other tank mates with their stinging tentacles. They may even eat smaller fish if they can get ahold of one. These are extremely interesting creatures for the right tank setup.

Picture Scientific Name /
Common Name

Bubble Tip Sea Anemone
Entacmaea quadricolor
Bubble Tip Sea Anemone

Condy Anemone
Condylactis gigantea
Condy Anemone

Picture	Scientific Name / Common Name
	Entacmaea quadricolor Bubble Tip Sea Anemone
	Condylactis gigantea Condy Anemone