34 — Wandering anemone, Phlyctenactis tuberculosa

Wandering anemone (P. tuberculosa),
Mt. Maunganui, 23/9/16.

Wandering anemone (P. tuberculosa),
 Mt. Maunganui, 23/9/16.

Wandering anemone (P. tuberculosa),
 Mt. Maunganui, 23/9/16.

The wandering anemone, Phlyctenactis tuberculosa * can get quite big: upwards of 15 cm. They are found in New Zealand, southern Australia, and Chile.

They attach to seaweeds and/or rocks, and as their name suggests can move around if conditions are better elsewhere. Structurally they're quite flaccid and generally squishy.

These examples were found around the side of the Mount, past the Mount Beach, where the water starts to become cleaner. These were mostly attached to the flapjack Carpophyllum maschalocarpum. Being attached to seaweed, they move around a lot in the swell, so they can be quite hard to photograph.

* (Quoy & Gaimard, 1833)























More info:

https://shapeandtheidea.wordpress.com/2015/10/11/wandering-anemone/

http://taputeranga.org.nz/the-marine-life/invertebrates/wandering-anemone-2/