Here in Aotearoa, we are lucky to have anemones in all shapes, colours and sizes.Īnemones belong to the Cnidaria family (pronounced ‘naidaria’), which also includes jellyfish and corals. Globally, anemones are found in tropical waters right through to the freezing waters of our poles. Some even detach themselves and float around in the water column to catch their prey. But first, let’s get the pronunciation right – “An M O Knee!” T he giant shore anemone (Oulactis magna) has up to 190 tentacles all in one colour which can range from white, pink or purple, and a wide oral disc in hues ranging from cream to brown to fluorescent green.Īnemones are not only found in rockpools, but also under rocks in calm bays, in the splash zone of the rocky shore, in mudflats, and also in the deepest reaches of the ocean in our abyssal trenches. It was heaven.īut nothing could quite beat the sensory thrill of gently sticking your finger into a strange, soft, flower-like creature attached to the walls of the rockpool – its instant recoil usually eliciting a squeal of horror and delight! To celebrate Seaweek and its theme of ‘Connecting with our Seas’, we needed no further excuse to celebrate sea anemones of the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park/Ko te Pātaka kai o Tīkapa using NIWA’s amazing marine identification e-guides. Hours spent watching crabs dart in and out of their narrow crevices, investigating the patterns and textures of limpets and seaweed, delighting at the shape of sea stars at the water’s edge, and glimpsing tiny fish flitting around at the corner of your eye. For most of us, peering into rockpools was our entry into the weird and wonderful world of our oceans.
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