Donna Pomeroy, USA
Info
Anthopleura xanthogrammica (Brandt, 1835)
Green giant anemones are common in the northeastern part of the Pacific Ocean on the coasts in the intertidal zone and may well grow 25 cm high and just as wide. Hence the name green giant anemone.
They feed through their cnidocytes by preying on small fish and invertebrates. Very astonishing is, that these anemones are able to eat even big dead birds, like an ear cormorant.
This behavior has been documented, where a dead Eared Cormorant, which had sunk into the sea, was eaten by two anemones, which ate the bird at the same time, and literally "tore it apart", and except for the feathers, which were later regurgitated, had completely digested it.
After all, ear sharks can reach a size of up to 91cm!
This behavior can be seen on TV in the series "Pig Pacific, episode 3 /5!
Synonymised names
Actinia (Taractostephanus) xanthogrammica Brandt, 1835 · unaccepted
Actinia xanthogrammica Brandt, 1835 · unaccepted (original binomen)
Anthopleura santhogrammica · unaccepted
Anthopleura xanthogramaica · unaccepted
Anthopleura xantogrammica · unaccepted
Bunodactis xanthogrammica (Brandt, 1835) · unaccepted
Bunodes californica Fewkes, 1889 · unaccepted
Evactis xanthogrammica Verrill · unaccepted
Green giant anemones are common in the northeastern part of the Pacific Ocean on the coasts in the intertidal zone and may well grow 25 cm high and just as wide. Hence the name green giant anemone.
They feed through their cnidocytes by preying on small fish and invertebrates. Very astonishing is, that these anemones are able to eat even big dead birds, like an ear cormorant.
This behavior has been documented, where a dead Eared Cormorant, which had sunk into the sea, was eaten by two anemones, which ate the bird at the same time, and literally "tore it apart", and except for the feathers, which were later regurgitated, had completely digested it.
After all, ear sharks can reach a size of up to 91cm!
This behavior can be seen on TV in the series "Pig Pacific, episode 3 /5!
Synonymised names
Actinia (Taractostephanus) xanthogrammica Brandt, 1835 · unaccepted
Actinia xanthogrammica Brandt, 1835 · unaccepted (original binomen)
Anthopleura santhogrammica · unaccepted
Anthopleura xanthogramaica · unaccepted
Anthopleura xantogrammica · unaccepted
Bunodactis xanthogrammica (Brandt, 1835) · unaccepted
Bunodes californica Fewkes, 1889 · unaccepted
Evactis xanthogrammica Verrill · unaccepted
