Anemonia alicemartinae

Anemonia alicemartinae can easily be spotted off the coast of Chile from its bright red appearance. They are covered in a layer of mucus while submerged. It has a pedal disc diameter between 13–18 mm (0.51–0.71 in) for a medium sized anemone to attach itself and tentacles reaching up to a length of 17 mm (0.67 in).[1] Their tentacles are normally bent towards the center to cover the oral disc which is where the mouth is located for eating and expelling waste.[1]

Anemonia alicemartinae is distributed along the Chilean coast in intertidal zones and is one of the most abundant sea anemones in its region. They are generally found in groups of 5-10 in areas without direct wave surges. They can thrive up to a depth of 16 meters in tide pools, normally attached to bare rock.[1] Data shows temperature ranges from 13–23 °C and salinity ranges from 33–36‰ in their habitat.[1] Over the past 50 years, its distribution has increased by >1900 km along the coast of the SE Pacific Ocean, making its expansion rate around 38 km yr -1.[2] Its latitude has extended from 18°S to 36°S.[3] While its original point of origin is unknown, scientific research points to the possible conclusion that it comes from the south of Peru.[4] The location of the highest population density was found to be off the coast of Arica.[1]

As there has been a rapid spread of this possible invasive species of anemone, studies were conducted to determine its large-scale movements.[5] Conducted by Arancibia Lopez, the results of his findings concluded that the colonization of new sites is caused by two dispersal mechanisms, short distance displacement, and long distance movement, as a result of abiotic stress as well as biotic factors.[6][7] The anemone does this by using a mechanism of detachment as well as re-adhesion to a substrate.[8][9] This adhesion comes from the pedal disc, which is not very strong as this animal can be easily removed and re-attached, suggesting that human activity is another factor to blame for its increasing abundance.[1]

Group of A. alicemartinae off the coast of Chile in 2018.

The life cycle begins at the reproduction of this organism. Reproduction of A. alicemartinae is done mainly through fission asexually and based on the original study with Häussermann as he observed multiple scars on the organism which is a sign of fission.[1] The beginning life stages of A. alicemartinae do not include a larval phase, and the male sex has been proven to be infertile.[1][8][10] Throughout the juvenile and adult stages it disperses across chosen substrates through detachment and reattachment.

Like all sea anemones A. alicemartinae is carnivorous. They have been found to eat crabs, shrimp, sea urchins, macroalgae, polychaete worms, mussels, bivalvia, and other sea anemones.[1] They eat by using their stinging tentacles to launch a paralyzing neurotoxin from cells called nematocysts into their prey.[11][12] Afterwards, the animal uses its tentacles to pull its food into its mouth.