THE PROLIFERATING ANEMONE (BROODING ANEMONE) at Alki 7-24-13

Epiactis prolifera, the Proliferating Anemone is found on Eelgrass in shallow water. Most anemones are separate sexes but Brooding Anemones are either female or hermaphrodites, there are no strictly male individuals.  Much reproduction by self fertilization so there is lots of inbreeding.  The eggs and young are brooded until time for them to go on their way.  The images show an individual with no young, an image with young, and finally an image with young in the groove at the base of the column and eggs (pink masses at right side of anemone).  The eggs will be brooded in the digestive cavity until they reach planula stage at which time the parent will move the planula to the groove at the base of the column for final development stages.  There are often young at various stages of development in the groove at the base of the column.
Food consists of mainly small crustaceans.  The anemone is in turn fed upon by the Shaggy Mouse sea slug, Leather Star, and some fish.


Anemone with no young



With young in groove at base of colunm



With young in groove and eggs being released at right side of anemone.
eggs will move to digestive cavity where they will develop to the planula stage.
The parent will them move the planula down the column to the basal groove where they will develop.